Polar Wander, Sea-level Variations and Ice Age Cycles

There exist close connections between changes in the position of theearthʹs rotation axis with respect to the earthʹs surface (polarwander), variations in sea level, the rise and decline of Ice Ages andglobal change on geological time scales. The modeling of theseinterrelationships has received renewed attention in the last few years,after initial attempts to relate these phenomena by means ofviscoelastic solid earth relaxation models had shown its feasibility.An overview is given of the models, and several aspects of the variousinterrelationships are discussed. It is shown that the radial mantleviscosity profile and the layering of the solid earth have importantinfluences on these interactions.