Won't global warming cause further continental shifts and earthquakes than rising sea-levels?

Question

Joining the international debate, I would like to convey that release of water from polar ice caps would lead to heavier concentration of water in the equatorial regions (due to the centrifugal force of earth's rotation), which in turn would mean heavier mass of water in the region. This will gradually cause an increase in plate realignment, aggravating reasons for continental shifts, thereby creating more space for water (specially if mountain peaks get affected again). Claims of rise of sea-level, would lead one to assume that earths surface has stabilised, which is a false premise. (Do I stand to get a nobel prize for clearing millions of affected brains from unwanted enquiries, saving tons of investments in liquid cash by governments worldwide? Or can I expect atleast some ice-creams or beer or money or t-shirts or CDs of Free Software? Send them to me at [e-mail])

Answer 1

Actually no but nice try LOL. We've been through several cycles of glaciation and subsequent melting in the last few million years (about every 40,000 to 100,000 years, driven by Earth's orbital cycles). They have had no discernible effect on seafloor spreading and tectonics. A very gradual isostatic adjustment occurs after the ice melts (Canada has been undergoing this for the last few thousand years) but that doesn't cause earthquakes. The last ice age ended about 20,000 years ago so we are in the early inter-glacial phase now (recently the frequency of glaciation has been about 100,000 yrs). So further melting is expected. Whether or not our contributions of greenhouse gasses will speed things up or not remains to be seen and is a different matter altogether. But yes, you are correct that the Earth's surface is not stable and never will be. Plate tectonics is a continual, ongoing process. New seafloor is constantly being created at the spreading ridges, driving the leading edges of those plates to be subducted under other plates. The Pacific is a particularly active spreading center and creates extensive volcanism and earthquake activity all around the margins. That's why it's known as the 'ring of fire'.

Answer 2

It's an interesting conjecture (one I've heard before), but you're not getting anything until you have some more detailed models to validate your claims. First, note that plate shifts happen on the order of millions of years, whereas sea-level rise is supposed to happen on the order of hundreds of years. Second, how do plate shifts result in "more space for water" uniformly? That makes little or no sense to me.

Answer 3

I don't know about the Nobel Prize, but I am the first to give you a "Star" rating. You do indeed have a valid point, but how much this will affect plate tectonics would probably be difficult to predict. Well thought out!

Answer 4

this is just a moot discussion global warming blah blah blah get over it dude.. its happening whether we do anything about it or not ..its mother nature telling us to get ready to be removed .. the sooner the better for me.. im tired of all this useless debate..our planet has been changing since it was born its time for a new dominant species and mother nature is shifting to get us off her back like fleas on a dogs back. let it alone and forget it and for t shirts send them to yourself yahoo is going to get you for advertising here .. personally i dont care but well their bots and their new human deleters are everywhere lol

Answer 5

Maybe