Simple physics show that when ice that is contained in a bowl or glass melts, the level of the water actually declines. Am I missing something here?
2007-01-30 04:44:38 · 13 answers · asked by bo diddly 2 in Environment
Yes, you are missing something.
The ice that the scientists refer to are the huge amounts that currently reside atop Antarctica and Greenland.
2007-01-30 04:50:12 · answer #1 · answered by lunatic 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This depends on how you look at things! When you fill your glass do you make room for the ice cubes? In which case even if they melt it will fill the glass to the top anyway as you have accounted for the displaced the amount of ice when you first filled it. Its pretty much the same principle for the icecaps. The world has a fixed amount of water and goes through a series of cycles of warming and cooling. When the last (cooling) ice age hit a lot of the water was trapped in the form of ice in either poles of the hemisphere. Therefore land was exposed and bridged a lot of the gaps betweens islands (which were once filled with water) and hence why certain organisms were allowed to cross from country to country and settlements started to appear around the newly-forming coastlines. In the present climate the ice is melting (heating) and therefore these land bridges are diminishing as the trapped water in the ice return as water to the ocean. A lot of land has been lost through this way and a lot of civilisation has also been lost through tragic breach of sea defences. Holland is in dire need as they are presently underwater (according to relative sea level) and are only dry due to their extremely good sea defences. In Antarctica there is a ice sheet which is hanging in the balance and is swiftly melting as we speak. The size of this sheet is so large that if it broke and shattered into the ocean it could raise the sea level by almost 0.3m overnight. Now is might not seem much but it can almost certainly destory sea defences world wide (see link below). Its a real phenomenon and needs to be seriously investigated Hope this answers your question!
2016-03-29 09:52:03 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
U need to watch the Al Gore movie. Its called an inconvenient truth. It explains about the iceburgs melting. But yes if they melt sea level will rise at least 20 feet. That will take away millions of homes worldwide. The reason this will happens is because ocean water is so warm now that it can't refreeze the ice. Just watch the movie it was great!
2007-01-30 04:53:03 · answer #3 · answered by shusha002 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you're stating a false premise -- no scientists believe that ocean levels would rise if icebergs melt.
Where do you get this nonsense?
Environmental scientists do understand, however, that as the Antarctic and Greenland melt, ocean levels will rise dramatically, because that is NOT free-floating ice, but rather very deep ice over land.
2007-01-30 04:49:08 · answer #4 · answered by snootymcpooty 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well your glass ful of water does not rise and overflow when the ice in your cup melt so why would the ocean? I dont know of any scientist that are worried about that.....Maybe more about the glaciers melting and flooding lands and melting into the ocean and "desalting" the ocean. many species of animals cannot survive without saltwater from the ocean....although I wonder if they would be able to adapt since it is a very slow process
2007-01-30 04:55:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes like the others said, its not the icebergs that are going to raise the water levels. Its the glaciers, some are more than 700 ft tall and cover plenty surface area to raise water levels considerably.
If you are interested in this kind of thing and global warming, i highly suggest you watch an inconvienent truth by Al Gore, very, very educational and informative in a very non-boring way. That should answer any question you have or ever have had about global warming or the glaciers and rising water levels.
2007-01-30 04:55:50 · answer #6 · answered by P W 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I've wondered that myself. With displacement theories, and the fact that 90% of an iceberg is underwater anyway, I dont see how the ocean levels would rise at all.
I think it is just spreading dissention and discontent.
2007-01-30 04:48:30 · answer #7 · answered by Mr. Goodkat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I think they are concerned more with glaciers and ice that are currently on land and that runoff will spill into the ocean, causing water levels to rise.
2007-01-30 04:48:55 · answer #8 · answered by zachariahxiii 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
its more like if the ice is above the bowl
when it melts the wata flows into the bowl and the level rises
2007-01-30 04:48:18 · answer #9 · answered by agropelter 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The worry is not about icebergs, it's about the ice that is on land, i.e. glaciers.
2007-01-30 04:49:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋