Text 13261, 52 rader
Skriven 2008-03-20 12:41:34 av Jeff Bowman (1:229/500)
     Kommentar till en text av Ward Dossche
Ärende: Re: Ice and flooding
============================
WD>JB> Greenland melting could add 20 feet to the sea level, for example.
 
WD> Prove it.
 
WD>JB> Antarctica is pretty damn cold though so
WD>JB> I don't know if any of it is melting, but if it did, sea levels would
WD>JB> rise 200 feet.
 
WD> Prove it.
 
"Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey estimate that if all of the ice
sitting on land in Greenland and Antarctica melted it would cause global sea
levels to rise by about 215 feet, or about 65 meters."
 
"Contrary to what was previously believed, the research suggests the Antarctic
ice sheet also melted substantially, contributing another six to 10 feet (two
to three meters) of sea level rise. The new findings will be published in the
March 24 issue of Science."
 
"we could, over centuries or millennia, trigger the unavoidable disappearance
of the Greenland ice sheet. This would eventually raise sea levels seven meters
(about 20 feet)"
 
 
I could go on quoting articles or reports but I doubt anyone knows the true
amount of sea level rise, or possible rise, since it's hard to tell exactly how
much ice is actually in those places.
 
I'm not sure if you're questioning how much they could cause the sea level to
rise, or whether you're questioning the very fact that it would make them do so
at all.  I think the latter is an obvious "yes".  You can't have ice sitting on
top of land, and then have that ice melt, without the water going somewhere. 
There is no displacement effect to counter it in this case.
 
Worse yet, when the ice melts, it's obviously cold water, which mingles with
warm undersea currents.  Ice is also fresh water, which is less dense, so it
doesn't sink to the depths.  Scientists worry that this could interrupt or
outright stop some of the undersea currents carrying warm water, which is
believed to have been in part responsible for the last ice age, since those
currents have a big impact on our weather.
 
Actually I just went to try and find an article on that, and found this quote:
 
"The dramatic finding comes from a study of ocean circulation in the North
Atlantic, which found a 30% reduction in the warm currents that carry water
north from the Gulf Stream."
 
Considering we already know Greenland and apparently Antarctica are both
melting, that's not entirely surprising I suppose.

--- D'Bridge 2.99
 * Origin: FyBBS (1:229/500)