if the north pole melts due to global warming will the earth be knocked off its axis?

Question

i do not here about the south pole's ice melting therefore if the north pole's ice melt the earth will be bottom heavy thus maybe knocking it off the axis???????????

Answer 1

"Knocked" off its axis. Probably not.

If the mass of ice on the poles simply melts, the mass will run off as melted water and mix with the rest of the oceans. In general, the mass of the ice caps is almost in line with the axis of rotation so that its disappearance will not affect the moment of inertia of the rotating Earth in a drastic way.

However, it will change it. Plus, the rising level of the sea from the melting of the south polar cap (the north one is already in water, so its melting will not change the level of the oceans) will change the shape of the oceans (some coast lines are shallow, others are not). Thus, the tidal bulges will not spend their energy on the same shallow regions as it does presently and the tidal braking may be along different vectors as they are today. Together, these effects will gradually change the axis. The real culprit would be the tidal bulge causing the crust to slip along the top of the mantle.

In other words, the axis does not change, it is our position (us, surface dwellers, on Earth's crust) in relation to the axis that changes.

The case of Groenland is more serious: a large mass of ice not at the pole (therefore, with lots of rotational momentum) and not already sitting in water. Its melting would cause a more rapid change in rotation and in sea levels.

A small-scale model of the Greenland glaciers is found in Iceland where most of the glaciers have almost disappeared over the last 20 years.

Answer 2

You can regard the earth as something like a small round balloon filled with toothpaste. The balloon itself is the crust of the earth. The toothpaste is the mantle and core. As you can see the crust is very tiny compared to the rest. The polar ice caps are even less significant.. They would have no effect and have never had in effect on the earth's rotation in the hundreds of times they have melted in the past. The other point is that the mass of the water, like the ice, will be attracted to towards the center of the mass and will seek a level that is more or less equal all over the globe.
There will be no effect on rotation whatsoever if thepolar ice caps melt again.

Answer 3

No.

And the South Pole is melting too. Chunks of Antarctica the size of Rhode Island are tearing off the continent.

However, the magnetic poles are changing. At some point in the near future, we'll see aurora borealis type effects all over the world.

Watch "An Inconvenient Truth" to get an idea of what's going on and what will happen. If you hate Al Gore or liberals, put your biases aside, and just watch the film. The worst that could happen is you waste an hour and a half.

(It's entertaining and informative. You'll wonder where that Al Gore was in 2000.)

Hope that helps.

Answer 4

Not at all. First of all, it's mass is too small. Secondly, since the north polar cap is just floating ice, when it melts, the mass will not change at the pole. Think of it as the ice will melt and just turn back into the water that was there. Anyways, the earth will have to warm up about 30 degrees for the poles to melt so i wouldn't worry about it too much. The media is just hyping it up too much.

Answer 5

Not from what i herd lol! there is the current that comes form Mexico and travels up to where iam in Ireland and England thats what gives us such a mild climate it warms the sea and brings warm winds , if the it then colls and goes back dwn to South America, if the polar ice caps melt then sea levels will rise, and the warm current travelling up here will get colder causing us to have colder winters and summers! but it WONT be knocked off its axies thats impossible, things like a nuclear war could do that more so that Polar ice caps melting! hope this was helpful!

Answer 6

The melting of the north pole would not be instanteneous, so the water would have dispursed itself throughout the atmosphere (space) and the earth. They have found that water continuously comes to the earth from space. Therefore, water is in space, and, most likely, a part of other planets. If any change in redistribution of water would cause the earth to change its axis, then it would have already have changed, (or continuously be changing) as the water has been melting off continents for thousands of years.

Answer 7

Not only that but life on earth will become extinct, and the earth will ripp apart due to the change in centriphical force, and throw out meateors into outer space that will impact the sun and destroy it into a supernova therefore destroying the solar system. Once the force of the solar system has been destroyed the entire galaxy will become unbalaced and it will be destroyed too, and the dominoe effect will then destroy the Universe, because Al Gore told me so!!

Answer 8

Yes it will be knocked off its axis. What we need to do now is to increase global warming so that the south pole melts to. Most scientists agree this is the best way to save our planet.

Answer 9

The north AND south poles are melting and if it will cause a shift on our axis that is yet to be determined. The water will seek it's own level equally around the globenor so it's thought.
If not-hang on.

Answer 10

1. sea levels will rise, flooding many coastal areas leading to catastrophic displacement of millions of people. This will lead to war, famine and economic and social chaos. 2. a widespread theory amongst scientists is that the release of massive amounts of fresh water will cut off the 'Great Ocean Conveyor', which moves warm water in to the Atlantic. This would trigger a massive freeze of Northern America and Europe. It may lead to a new ice age.