 |
|
You're getting closer now.
Posted on: February 25, 2019 at 22:28:47 CT
limenats MU
Posts:
3778
Member For:
26.31 yrs
Level:
User
M.O.B. Votes:
0
Sea level is rising for two main reasons.
1. The sea is warmer and warmer water expands.
2. Ice is melting.
Here's what you don't quite understand. You are correct that an ice shelf is already in the water. I wouldn't say it's floating (but most do). Regardless how you define floating, it's already in the water so if it broke free it would have a slight but not significant impact on sea level.
What you don't get is that ice shelfs are formed from ice "upstream". So ice flows down toward the sea and the ice shelf acts as a dam to stop the flow of ice. Now, what happens if the ice shelf breaks off? The ice flow gets into the water and boom, sea level rises.
If the ice shelf is intact, the ice sheet (more commonly glacial ice) doesn't affect sea level. It gets blocked by the ice shelf.
Edited by limenats at 22:33:11 on 02/25/19
1. The sea is warmer and warmer water expands.
2. Ice is melting.
Here's what you don't quite understand. You are correct that an ice shelf is already in the water. I wouldn't say it's floating (but most do). Regardless how you define floating, it's already in the water so if it broke free it would have a slight but not significant impact on sea level.
What you don't get is that ice shelfs are formed from ice "upstream". So ice flows down toward the sea and the ice shelf acts as a dam to stop the flow of ice. Now, what happens if the ice shelf breaks off? The ice flow gets into the water and boom, sea level rises.
If the ice shelf is intact, the ice sheet (more commonly glacial ice) doesn't affect sea level. It gets blocked by the ice shelf.
Edited by limenats at 22:33:11 on 02/25/19
Please explain why this message is being reported.
MESSAGE THREAD
- 
You're getting closer now. - limenats MU - 2/25 22:28:47