2006-07-20 05:33:06 · 5 answers · asked by Big Will 2 in Environment
Contrary to what has been said, the ocean would actually fall, not rise. Think of a glass of water with ice, as the ice melts, the upper limit goes down. Ice takes up more volume than water. If the snow caps on mountains were to melt (and they are), then the sea level would rise (and it is). The trouble with the Polar Ice Caps melting, as well as the snow caps on the mountains, is that ~75% of the earth's freshwater is tied up in the glaciers. As they melt and go into the sea, the availability of freshwater is reduced. In addition, the sea level would rise and a number of coastal cities would be submerged. Some island nations, such as Vanuatu, would be completely lost.
2006-07-20 10:33:35 · answer #1 · answered by Hidden 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
What would happen? It is happening already but at slow and moderate pace.
Ice in the Arctic Ocean has already thinned by 40% in the past 40 years, according to the results of submarine surveys. Any further loss could spell disaster for the polar bear, which stands to lose its natural habitat. It puts the habitat of the polar bear, which relies on the ice to hunt for seals, under increasing threat.
Melting will also increase the effects of global warming in the northern hemisphere, say researchers from University College London (UCL) and the Met Office Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research. The study, reported in the journal Nature, is based on ice thickness measurements from two European Space Agency (Esa) satellites, ERS-1 and ERS-2.
Measurements of the Greenland ice sheet taken from passive microwave satellite sensors show 685,000 square kilometres of melt, an area more than double that of 1992. Such melting encourages further ice loss. The excess water weight pushes down on the glacier at the same time that water seeps through cracks to the underside.
2006-07-20 05:42:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Coastal cities would be submerged. Cities like New York, etc... all over the world, would be at LEAST partially submerged, if not entirely. The Polar Ice Caps have a LOT of frozen water, so if they completely melted, the water level would rise dramatically.
2006-07-20 05:38:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
u really need a swim suit and how to swim.. caz water at polar ice caps is i think 50% of the earth`s water.. this much water it contains.. so whole earth would be submerged into it...
2006-07-20 05:43:03 · answer #4 · answered by BoB-SeriouS 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Better own a swim suit.. Arizona would be selling lake front propity..
2006-07-20 05:38:34 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋