Millions of tons of packed polar ice on the north pole are melting away at an alarming rate. Will it affect the rotation of the planet?If there is a redistribution of the mass of any rotating body ,its dynamic balance is affected.
Any thoughts on this?
2007-03-09 21:15:19 · 6 answers · asked by eager62 1 in Environment
jmminnc, it may be true that it wouldn't "add one gram of mass to the sea of one millimeter of depth." However, the north pole acts as a giant mirror that reflects the sun's rays and sends them back out into space. Once the north pole melts, animals such as polar bears will become critically endangered and over 90% of the sun's rays will be absorbed by the ocean, therefore, contributing to global warming.
Furthermore, unlike the north pole, Antarctica and Greenland are also melting. If Greenland melts, sea levels worldwide would rise almost 20 feet. This would devastate areas such as Florida, Shanghai, Beijing, Manhattan, etc.
Although, the melting of the poles would have many disastrous effects on Earth, I do not know whether or not the poles melting would have any effect on the rotation of the planet. I feel that is something entirely different.
2007-03-09 23:28:19 · answer #1 · answered by Hello 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Melting of polar ice is exactly how ice ages have all ended. When polar ice has extended as far as into what we now know as America, that is an ice age. Then it melts. Then it builds again. Has done this several times in the history of the planet. Thank heaven for 'global warming' or Chicago could well be under 200 feet of ice right now. From the south pole, so could for example Durban.
2007-03-10 05:28:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ice and water have the same mass. Ice at the north pole is floating on water so even if it all melts away it would not add one gram of mass to the sea of one millimeter of depth.
By the way the the temp at the south pole even in the summer is warm -56 now it is -25.
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met//metlog/latest-met/89606.latest-met.html
2007-03-10 05:49:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To set you at ease, millions of tons of packed polar ice is also melting on the south pole as well. They will equal out.
2007-03-10 05:23:43 · answer #4 · answered by daddyspanksalot 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not the rotation of the planet but will contribute to global warming!
2007-03-10 05:18:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
GLOBAL WARMING!!!!!!!!!
2007-03-10 05:26:15 · answer #6 · answered by Satej S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋