| Term: | Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) |
| Definition: | The deformation of the Earth and its gravity field due to the response of the earth-ocean system to changes in ice and associated water loads. It is sometimes referred to as glacio-hydro isostasy. It includes vertical and horizontal deformations of the Earth's surface and changes in geoid due to the redistribution of mass during the ice-ocean mass exchange. |