Melting Ice Caps | Forums

[seinfan]

[cooldude6681]

You're forgetting that much of the ice is above the surface of the ocean. Any ice above the surface of the ocean (that melts) will cause the water level to rise.

[seinfan]

But it's still on the water. If you take out the ice, the water levels would go down.

[silentassasin05]

The ice only displaces the amount of water beneath the waves, not ontop.

[Woosy]

Water levels will rise, some places are noticing the effect and are having to build higher water defences so yes if the ice melts the water levels will rise there is alot of ice over there alot more then in your glass. *lol*

You would have to do the example of you bathtub it's quite full with big huge 6 ft ice chunks floating on top now when they melt the water level will rise and overflow.

[NormalGuy_abc]

Either way we are going to die someday.

[WhiteKnight77]

Two thirds of an iceburg sits below the water. While that may not raise the level of the water much if any, the one third that sits above the water will. Also, most of the ice at Antarctica does not sit or float on water but on dry land. That ice will certainly raise the water level if it were to all melt.

[seinfan]

The ice caps are there because it is that same ocean water that froze; the water level naturally rises and falls because of evaporation and precipitation. Basically, the water level has been acting the same as it did thousands of years ago.

[CovertKi11]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but water expands when it freezes. By the same logic, it should shrink when it melts.

The Hydrogens solidify in a hexagonal shape with the Oxygen in the middle, so it takes up more room frozen than liquid.

Unless I understood less of Grade 10 chem than I thought.

[SoulFire382]

I thought that as well. In theory, anyway, if the ice melts than the water level should go down, if anything.
Not that I fully believe in globar warming, anyway. It seems to be nothing but a scapegoat these days.