Recent and future higher sea levels in New Zealand: A review

Abstract

Understanding past sea levels is essential to respond to the challenges of climate change. In the Pacific and Tasman, sea level has been up to 1.5 m higher during the mid-Holocene, similar to the predictions of some global warming models. Within New Zealand the knowledge of sea-level movements, especially during the recent past is poor, with the last major investigation being conducted 20.years ago. This paper reviews the state of local understanding of higher sea levels and suggests regions for further study and new methods of analysis to understand the nature of sea-level change in New Zealand. © 2008 The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 New Zealand Geographical Society.