How do melting ice caps raise the level of the oceans? if melting ice in a glass of water doesn't overflow it?

Question

Archimede's principle dictates that the fluid volume replaced by the melted ice is actually less than the ice volume! So, similar to how the melting ice cubes in a glass of water doesn't cause the water to overflow the glass, then picture the earth as a giant glass of water, and the polar ice caps as the ice cubes.

Answer 1

DOH!!! You are just too smart for Al Gore! Indeed, the melting of the Arctic ice cap would not change sea level at all. However, most of the Greenland and Antarctic ice caps are on land and would indeed raise sea level by a few hundred feet if they were to completely melt. Unfortunately for Al Gore, neither of those ice caps is expected to experience significant melting anytime soon...even in the wildest BS speculation of the global warming fearmongers.

Of course, 50 million years ago, there were no ice caps at all on this planet (and very few glaciers anywhere) and although sea level was higher, life thrived and biodiversity was high. This condition is, in fact, the way the Earth has been for the vast majority of time that there has been life. If anything is to be considered "normal" in regard to the Earth's long-term climate, it certainly would not be permanent ice caps and recurring ice ages. The only species really facing a threat from rising sea levels is humans...but if people think we are too dumb too simply move as the seas rise...well, those people really are that dumb. Sounds like a wonderful way to evolve ignorance and gullibility out of the human genome.

Answer 2

gerbyln is correct. In your glass of water/ice - most of the ice is below the water level with only about a quarter of an inch or less above. The ice caps rise feet above the water level. If these melt, that water will not only raise the water level in our oceans, but also interfere with the Atlantic Ocean's under-water currents by affecting salinity. This will in-turn affect weather and marine life - eventually our lives on multiple levels.

Answer 3

that is a poin to be made. yes ice is less dense than water and so when melted takes up less space. an the majority of ice is under the water and displaces allot of water.
however the ice on our earth does not float in the sea. well the south pole doesnt. it sitson land. so when this melts it has no effect on the diplacement of water. and all melted ice is added to the earths water. therefor the waterlevel will rise.
it is the equivilent of melting the ice outside your glass, then adding it and watching it overflow.

mackey xx

Answer 4

Think of your glass of water with ice cubes extending well over the top of the glass. This is similar to ice sitting on top of a Continental shelf. As the ice melts, the water level will go up and the glass will overflow.

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Answer 5

Good show
Then almost all of the north arctic ice would not affect any in fact it might drop slightly. Then Iceland and Greenland They have some pretty good mountains . Now if u take a map and cut out Iceland and Greenland on the same scale place them over the earth. Now take Antarctic and place them all over the world ,now count how many slices u have cut . With this u should able to come up with a good calculation of how much the water would increase.

Answer 6

First of all, the volume replaced by the melting of the ice is only that part that was already in the water. To a first approximation, melting shouldn't change the sea level at all, IF THE ICE WAS FLOATING FREELY IN WATER.

For ice that's on land, however, that doesn't apply -- when it melts and runs into the ocean, sea levels go up.

Answer 7

You are correct. Melting ice bergs or ice floating on water will not raise the sea level significantly if at all since the mass of the water in ice displaces an equal mass of liquid water (pretty close anyway). It is only land locked glacial melting that might increase sea levels.