Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
eustatic

eustatic

1 9.9
Relating to worldwide changes in sea level, not local ones
  • adjective
  • /juːˈstætɪk/
  • Specialized
: eustático
  • These may, for example, occur after large-scale volcanism, orogenesis, or major eustatic sea-level falls—the latter an expected occurrence in glacials, of course.

Examples

  • Researchers studied eustatic fluctuations to better understand climate change impacts on coastlines.

  • Following this event, reef growth continued for a short time before becoming extinct, possibly as a result of global climatic cooling and/or eustatic sea-level fall.

    Blog text (16)

  • The scientist explained that eustatic changes in sea level affect coastal ecosystems globally.

  • Eustatic sea level rise can lead to increased flooding in low-lying regions worldwide.

Surface Forms

eustatic positive

Morphology

eustatic = eustasy (opaque) = eu + stasis + eustasy + ic

The adjective is formed regularly from the technical noun 'eustasy' by the productive suffix '-ic'.

Etymology

The word eustatic comes from the Greek parts eu- meaning 'well' and -static from stasis meaning 'to stand'. Think of static as 'standing' or 'not moving', so eustatic refers to the ocean's overall 'standing' level, that is, changes in global sea level rather than local changes.