Silly question about global warming

[rudeguy]

If measuring the water level in the oceans tells us how much the ice caps are melting, how do they figure in all the new ships that are being built. It seems like there are many more MASSIVE ships being built. Wouldn't such huge ships make the water level rise, if even a little bit?

 

[KLin]

I don't think the combined displacement really makes any kind of difference.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: NSFW
If measuring the water level in the oceans tells us how much the ice caps are melting, how do they figure in all the new ships that are being built. It seems like there are many more MASSIVE ships being built. Wouldn't such huge ships make the water level rise, if even a little bit?

There are less fish (over fishing) so it evens out.

 

[FleshLight]

I would think the ships displacement compared to the volume of the ocean would have at least a 7 order of magnitude difference. Once the ships leave dry dock, they will cause the global mean sea level to rise but at a negligible difference.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Come to think of it there are TONS of variables that can affect sea levels so it's actually not an accurate measurement unless we're measuring units that are rather large like decameters.

Lot of the variables are small such as ships, but there are others such as water evaporating (yes it comes back down, but it might come down on another continent and take a while to make it's way back to the ocean)

 

[Pocatello]

I hear that the Yellowstone supervolcano is going to explode real soon, accordint to ATOT, which is never wrong. All the ash is going to block out the sun, and we'll have a hundred year winter.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Come to think of it there are TONS of variables that can affect sea levels so it's actually not an accurate measurement unless we're measuring units that are rather large like decameters.

Lot of the variables are small such as ships, but there are others such as water evaporating (yes it comes back down, but it might come down on another continent and take a while to make it's way back to the ocean)

Its stuff like this that makes me not believe all the hype.

"The Atlantic ocean is .25 inches higher than last year!"
What about the Pacific?
"Uhh....."

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: NSFW
If measuring the water level in the oceans tells us how much the ice caps are melting, how do they figure in all the new ships that are being built. It seems like there are many more MASSIVE ships being built. Wouldn't such huge ships make the water level rise, if even a little bit?

Negligible. The oceans are massive in comparison.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: NSFW
If measuring the water level in the oceans tells us how much the ice caps are melting, how do they figure in all the new ships that are being built. It seems like there are many more MASSIVE ships being built. Wouldn't such huge ships make the water level rise, if even a little bit?

There are less fish (over fishing) so it evens out.

:thumbsup:

Originally posted by: Rubycon

Originally posted by: NSFW
If measuring the water level in the oceans tells us how much the ice caps are melting, how do they figure in all the new ships that are being built. It seems like there are many more MASSIVE ships being built. Wouldn't such huge ships make the water level rise, if even a little bit?

Negligible. The oceans are massive in comparison.

Don't listen to her, she's part of the big-ship conspiracy!:Q

 

[EGGO]

Originally posted by: NSFW

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Come to think of it there are TONS of variables that can affect sea levels so it's actually not an accurate measurement unless we're measuring units that are rather large like decameters.

Lot of the variables are small such as ships, but there are others such as water evaporating (yes it comes back down, but it might come down on another continent and take a while to make it's way back to the ocean)

Its stuff like this that makes me not believe all the hype.

"The Atlantic ocean is .25 inches higher than last year!"
What about the Pacific?
"Uhh....."

Isn't the Pacific still connected to the Atlantic?

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: EGGO
Isn't the Pacific still connected to the Atlantic?

Unless they've closed off the Arctic and the gap between South America and Antarctica, yes.

All of Earth's oceans are still quite thoroughly connected.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: EGGO
Isn't the Pacific still connected to the Atlantic?

Unless they've closed off the Arctic and the gap between South America and Antarctica, yes.

All of Earth's oceans are still quite thoroughly connected.

Lies!

 

[KB]

http://www.pol.ac.uk/psmsl/puscience/#3

Sea level is about 20 cm higher on the Pacific side than the Atlantic due to the water being less dense on average on the Pacific side and due to the prevailing weather and ocean conditions. Such sea level differences are common across many short sections of land dividing ocean basins.

The 20 cm difference business is determined by geodetic levelling from one side to the other. A datum called Panama Canal Datum is used. When you use spirit levelling you follow a 'level' surface (to our perceptions, see 1) which will be parallel to the geoid (which is geometrically a 'lumpy' surface). The geoid is the surface of constant gravitational potential (plus a 'centrifugal potential' term) which on average coincides with the sea surface i.e. a 'level' surface in everyday language. The 20 cm difference at Panama is not unique. There are similar 'jumps' elsewhere e.g. Skagerrak, Indonesian straits.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Come to think of it there are TONS of variables that can affect sea levels so it's actually not an accurate measurement unless we're measuring units that are rather large like decameters.

Ocean water is measured in 1000's of cubic miles.