Gravitational, rotational and deformational effects (Q642)
Subject, term, tag: Gravitational, rotational and deformational effects
- Gravitational, rotational and deformational (GRD) effects
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Gravitational, rotational and deformational effects |
Subject, term, tag: Gravitational, rotational and deformational effects |
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Statements
IPCC Glossary v1.5
1 reference
27 May 2026
Changes in Earth gravity, Earth rotation and viscoelastic solid Earth deformation (GRD) result from the redistribution of mass between terrestrial ice and water reservoirs and the ocean. Contemporary terrestrial mass loss leads to elastic solid Earth uplift and a nearby relative sea level fall (for a single source of terrestrial mass loss this is within ~2000 km, for multiple sources the distance depends on the interaction of the different relative sea level patterns). Farther away (more than ~7000 km for a single source of terrestrial mass loss), relative sea level rises more than the global average, due (to first order) to gravitational effects. Earth deformation associated with adding water to the oceans and a shift of the Earth’s rotation axis towards the source of terrestrial mass loss leads to second-order effects that increase spatial variability of the pattern globally. GRD effects due to the redistribution of ocean water within the ocean itself are referred to as self-attraction and loading effects. (English)
IPCC Glossary v1.5
1 reference
27 May 2026