2007-01-12 02:46:38 · 5 answers · asked by Dx 2 in Environment
Warm water is less dense than cold water. Even without the addition of water locked in abover-water ice, simply warming the oceans will create an increase in sea levels.
The other thing to consider is that if it is warm enough to melt the Arctic ice cap, it will also be warm enough to melt the glaciers and ice pack that covers large parts of northern Canada and Russia, not to mention the massive ice bound on the continent of Antarctica. None of that ice is currently afloat, and when it melts and flows into the sea, it will raise global sea levels considerably.
2007-01-12 03:05:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
First, The Arctic is NOT floating in the water. There is actually land under most of it and a large portion of it is bridging between land masses.
Second, there is very little evidence that it is melting. When you read news articles, look for the key words: could, may, might, or suggest. These are clues to how reliable the information is. Science is based in fact, not speculation and any "science" article that uses "soft" language means that the article is more about renewing funding than about facts.
2007-01-12 03:33:29 · answer #2 · answered by newsgirlinos2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are right about the Arctic. Because the ice is floating its melting will not contribute to the ocean's level.
Not so for the Antarctic and the glaciers over the continents, as they are not floating and their water will actually be added to the oceans.
2007-01-12 03:42:09 · answer #3 · answered by PragmaticAlien 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good point. The arctic is displacing the same now as if he were melted.
2007-01-12 02:58:55 · answer #4 · answered by rinn 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the sea level would rise by about 270 feet. this is because not all of the ice is underwater, a good sized portion of it is above the sea level.
2007-01-12 02:54:37 · answer #5 · answered by wini_da_cutie 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋