Sunday, April 12, 2009
Here's why the oceans are as high as they are.
It is a fact that the ocean water levels were once much lower than they are now. It's because the ice caps we have now were melted back then. It's a fact that ice expands when frozen. Also snow is loaded with air. This expansion raises the water level. You can do a simple experiment to prove melting ice lowers the water level. Put enough water in a container to float a cubic foot of ice. Mark the water level just as soon as the water levels off from the installation of the ice cube. Let the ice melt without moving the container. The water level will be lower after the ice melts.
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1 comment:
A few mental gymnastics to get there, but yes, since ice becoming water gets more dense, the volume decreases. And since the ice displaces it's volume, as it melts it will take up less space.
Don't tell Al Gore....
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