Figure 5. Plot of relative sea level in coastal Maine vs. time, showing the rapid drop in sea level in late-glacial time. This resulted from uplift of the Earth's crust after the weight of the ice sheet was removed. In more recent millennia, sea-level rise has become dominant due to continued melting of the world's glaciers. Note that the time scale on this graph is expressed in radiocarbon years (see text). Modified from Dickson (1999).

---

Last updated on October 6, 2005

Maine.gov | Department of Conservation | Bureau Home | Site Policies