That's a great question. It is plausible that the sea ice and icebergs would decrease water levels if they melt. I don't think in the next 10 years we will have a precise measurement of the amount of sea ice above and below water to know for certain how much it would contribute. But on Antarctica and Greenland, there are places where the ice nears 2-3 thousand feet thick above the land. If that melts and flows into the ocean, overall sea levels would certainly rise. There is also growing speculation that the ice in the frozen soils of the tundra would melt and evaporate, precipitating into the ocean. This would also increase sea levels.
However, the amount of information to compute the actual rise in sea levels has proven far too difficult for scientists to come up a probable estimation thus far. In the last year alone I have seen new reports estimating less than a foot increase all the way to 30 and 40 meters. Conclusion: we probably won't have precise predictions until it occurs.
2006-10-10 07:59:11
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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Two things:
1. water actually thermally expands slightly with heating, and that alone will rise sea level
2. Continental glaciation on Greenland and Antartica will add to the volume. Having continental glaciation defines the fact we are still in an ice age.
What we do know is global warming is a real, human-caused phenomenon.
CO2 is 30% higher than it has been for 650,000 years. Methane is 130% greater. These are two of the main pollutants humans put into the atmosphere in excess, and they are two of the primary greenhouse gases.
Look at the 'hockeystick', which shows a dramatic warming since 1950 after a fairly stable climate for 1000 years. In fact, the 10 hottest years in recorded history have all happened since 1990, with 2005 being the hottest, and 2006 is shaping up to maybe break that record.
(see links below)
How's that for proof of man's fault in this? There is ample proof, any real scientist will tell you that.
There has NEVER been an article doubting man's influence on global warming published in a peer-reviewed journal. A recent study of almost 1000 proved that.
Yes, the earth naturally heats and cools, but the rate and amount we are warming now is unprecedented in the recent geologic past. We are doing this, and we must stop it. This is not some political statement or rhetoric. This is science trying to educate a crass, ignorant public of the damage they are doing. The magnitude of temperature increase ALREADY is about 10x that of the 'little ice age' of the middle ages, and rate and amount are only going up.
Just to be clear, glacial and interglacial cycles are mainly controlled by astronomical fluctuations, but we have a detailed record of the last 7 cycles, and what the climate and CO2 is doing now is way different and extreme. The rate of increase is much higher than in the past AND the value itself is much higher.
HI CO2:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4467420.stm
HOCKEY STICK:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5109188.stm
General climate stuff:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3897061.stm
2006-10-10 07:58:43
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answer #2
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answered by QFL 24-7 6
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Obviously, as your question points out, sea ice melting will not raise sea levels. Only melting of glaciers will. The sea levels are not static. They change all the time. Since they change very slowly, we just think they are static. Now they may be rising since we have been in a warming period for a while. It is amazing the scare tactics some will use when some warming, probably mostly beneficial overall, is occuring. Next decade it might start getting colder and then we'll be far worse off.
2006-10-10 08:27:45
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answer #3
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answered by JimZ 7
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Antarctica and Greenland have a lot of ice. Miles and miles thick. All above waterlevel. Plus, just think... if ice is already 90% underwater... then the 10% extra would equal how much more volume?
2006-10-10 07:45:40
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answer #4
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answered by words_smith_4u 6
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all i know is the atmosphere has a hole in it so heat from the sun its the ice caps and melt them making the water rise
2006-10-12 13:52:52
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answer #5
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answered by devilgirl121472 1
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It's not only the Polar caps that are melting, it's also glaciers and snow-caps on mountains.
2006-10-10 07:41:08
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answer #6
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answered by The Gadfly 5
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Try an experiment with ice cubes and a beaker.
2006-10-10 07:40:29
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answer #7
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answered by sarcastro1976 5
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If you want a simple explanation watch Al Gore movie.
2006-10-10 09:20:47
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answer #8
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answered by Rita 1
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