The unsteady spherically symmetric one-dimensional gasdynamic model appears to be a powerful tool in the investigation of the termination shock motion. Such a model has previously been used to examine the response of the heliospheric termination shock to variations in upstream solar wind conditions [Ratkiewicz et al., 1996>. In the current paper we apply the same model to study response of the shock to variations in the interstellar medium. The initial-boundary conditions, for the unsteady calculations are given by the pressure as a function of time on an outer boundary either alone or with the density as a function of time on an inner boundary. The motion of the termination shock is caused by fluctuations in both solar wind and interstellar plasma parameters and has a rather complicated behavior, characterized by a sequence of perturbations that hit the termination shock and are reflected from the outer boundary.¿ 1997 American Geophysical Union