| Beware of Giant Ice Cube in South Pacific |
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| Written by Samantha Hulkower | |
| Wednesday, 26 March 2008 | |
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It shouldn't really come as a surprise, as scientists have been predicting it for 15 years now, but the Western Antarctic Wilkins ice shelf has just dropped a load of ice the size of Liechtenstein into the ocean. Scientists have been watching the ice shelf start to lose its integrity (not unlike our politicians) over the past month. This one chunk of ice -- which according to scientists shattered like a piece of glass -- was one of the few sections of ice keeping the Wilkins ice sheet safely intact. Evidently, it's now only holding on by a thread, albeit a giant thread made of ice ... being held over an open flame of warm ocean waters. The Antarctic you may remember is in the southern hemisphere, so while we are finally getting to experience an early spring up north, winter and its freezing temperatures are around the bend in the Antarctic. So start placing your bets now as to when the whole thing just gives up. But the ice melting from glaciers in the Alps or Greenland is the equivalent of dropping an ice cube into the glass -- higher water level and lots of mess. As if that wasn't enough science for you, consider this: As the white ice, which reflects sunlight, breaks apart and melts it exposes dark ocean water, that absorbs the suns rays and heat up. The warmer ocean water melts the ice floating atop it, which reduces the amount of white ice to reflect the sun's rays, and so on, and is known as the albedo effect. Aside from Greenland's ice falling into the Atlantic, the real threat of sea level rise is that when water warms it expands. So as we lose ice and gain warming seas ... well, we don't have to spell it out for you. We just think now might be a good time to unload your properties on the Outer Banks and in the Hamptons. Click here for our list of "10 Things Smaller Than The Wilkins Ice Shelf."
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  written by Jeb Meate, March 26, 2008
Ummm. Actually if you pay attention to the anomalous behavior of water, it's the only substance that expands when it gets colder and contracts as it warms. 1 litre of water frozen ahas more volume than 1 litre of water as a gas. 5th grade science dude. I dare you to put a litre container full in the freezer, what happens to the container?
written by Tom, March 26, 2008
Yes it is going to raise the water level, douche.
Because Ice is less dense than water (as mentioned by Jeb), about 1/3 of it floats out of the water. What happens when it melts? all of it ends up in the water, therefore because ice is less dense, it displaces less space in the water than it does when it melts. Therefore melting icebergs = rising sea = bad. As anyone knows. Don't get me wrong - I'm no eco-mentalist. Any idiot can see it is happening, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't happen without us. written by williaty, March 26, 2008
Water does have the anomalous behavior you mention... but only near freezing. Get above 4 degrees, and water starts behaving like it should and begins to expand. Almost the entirety of the volume of the ocean is above 4 degrees, so the majority of the ocean will expand with any heating at all.
written by williaty, March 26, 2008
Tom, again, close but not quite. An ice cube displaces the same mass of liquid water as it contains as a solid. So while part of the ice is floating above the water level, when the ice melts and shrinks slightly as has been pointed out, as well as releases air suspended in the ice, it all comes out equal.
The issue is as the original article says, ice that's not currently in the ocean will end up in the ocean as liquid water when it melts, thus raising sea level. written by Chuck, March 26, 2008
So, with the ice gone from in front, now the Glaciers will flow down to the sea faster in Antartica.
written by kbn, March 27, 2008
Tom is right about water and a key pt to remember is the thermal expansion part. Most areas of the ocean are warmer than 4oC (yes there are different bodies of water in the ocean with different temps and salinities). We all know that people love to go to the coasts in the summer or to tropical paradises for vacation! Also, it is well understood that hot liquids do take up more space than liquids at room temperature and liquids at colder temps. Some of the areas most affected by sea level rise are warmer areas.
However, while it is interesting to focus on the chemical and physical properties of water, it is also important to remember the Bigger Picture and implications of this concerning the hydrologic cycle. written by Samantha Hulkower, March 27, 2008
Wow, I think this might be one of the most active comment boards on any post on EnviroWonk so far!
Chuck is correct, and KBN makes a really valid point that this is about more than just changes in sea level. Melting ice is affecting the ocean's salinity and temperature, both of with affect the thermohalinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermohaline_circulation circulation that controls our weather, not to mention the environment of all the organisms that live in the oceans. And Tom, while I appreciate that you're no 'eco-mentalist', you're breaking my heart with your skepticism as to the anthropogenic forces between this melting! written by Samantha Hulkower, March 27, 2008
*behind this melting. This is what happens when I post without an editor :)
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