From sealevel to space geodesy: the past and the future of postglacial rebound

Giorgio Spada
University of Urbino, Via Santa Chiara 27, I-61029 Urbino, PU, Italy, spada@fis.uniurb.it

Abstract:
Since the pioneering work of Haskell (1935), the approach to the postglacial rebound problem has varied considerably. The flat, homogeneous, newtonian fluid half space has been non substituted by modern 2D and 3D models of the Earth, which can deal with both linear and non linear mantle rheologies and with lateral variations in the mechanical properties of the lithosphere and of the mantle. The overtaking of 1D models has been generally motivated by the increased amount and quality of the data available, which now include geodetic GPS and VLBI observations along with the classical relative sealevel data. A great effort has been made to improve modeling, with considerable success, but our knowledge on the Earth interior as inferred by postglacial rebound observations is still imperfect. We review some of the milestones of the development of postglacial rebound studies, the physical and geological observations available, and we give a few examples of interesting case studies.