Re:What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so h...
by onion2k on Monday February 26, 2018 @02:08AM
(#16463683)
Would melting sea ice lead to a rise in sea level? The ice is floating, so it's displacing the approximately same mass of water as it contains. If it melts the overall water level shouldn't change.
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Re:What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so h...
by flukus on Monday February 26, 2018 @02:53AM
(#16463835)
1. Thermal expansion. It's a tiny effect, you won't see it in a glass of water in science class but when you've got oceans a few kilometers deep and humans living a few meters above them it can have an impact.
2. It's a feedback effect. Less ice means less light reflected means more energy in our oceans/atmosphere. In turn this creates more ice loss that won't be sea ice.
Re:What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so h...
by gaius on Monday February 26, 2018 @03:36AM
(#16463980)
Water expands as it freezes. That’s why pipes burst in winter.
Re:What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so h...
by flukus on Monday February 26, 2018 @03:54AM
(#16464033)
Water crystallization is a different effect and not relevant here. It has the same mass so it doesn't effect sea levels when it's frozen and it's not a linear effect, it won't continue to shrink as it warms.
But like everything else (to various extents) it will expand when it's warmer.
Re:What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so h...
by imtringued on Monday February 26, 2018 @05:57AM
(#16464463)
The maximum density of water is at 4 degrees. If you heat it above that it starts expanding quickly. If you freeze it below that it starts expanding slowly.
Re:What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so h...
by symmetricsaurus on Monday February 26, 2018 @02:25AM
(#16463744)
This is correct, melting sea ice does not lead to a rise in sea level. It’s the melting of glaciers and ice sheets (on Greenland for example) that cause the sea level to rise.
Re:What is happening in the Arctic is now beyond words, so h...
by RandomCSGeek on Monday February 26, 2018 @02:16AM
(#16463711)
Although you are right, note that liquid water expands as it heats. Also, not all ice is floating.