Why would the oceans overflow if the glaciers melt?

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DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
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Originally posted by: mattpegher
http://www.whoi.edu/institutes/occi/viewArticle.do?id=9948

So none of us were completely right. I didn't consider the expansion of liquid water as it warms.

The OP never said anything about it warming, only about it melting. AND, water is densest at 4 degrees celsius, so it would actually decrease in volume at first while it was warming, then increase in volume after 4C (if you have a handbook of chemical and physical constants, you can find the density out to 4 or 5 decimal places if you wish)
 

mattpegher

Platinum Member
Jun 18, 2006
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Originally posted by: DrPizza
Originally posted by: mattpegher
http://www.whoi.edu/institutes/occi/viewArticle.do?id=9948

So none of us were completely right. I didn't consider the expansion of liquid water as it warms.

The OP never said anything about it warming, only about it melting. AND, water is densest at 4 degrees celsius, so it would actually decrease in volume at first while it was warming, then increase in volume after 4C (if you have a handbook of chemical and physical constants, you can find the density out to 4 or 5 decimal places if you wish)

Are you saying that we are postulating that the entire artic and antartic temperature would somehow raise to only a few degrees above freezing, rather than a gradiated warming over each latitude. Why talk about an impossible isolated physical phenomenon.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,260
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Originally posted by: illusion88
Of corse the oceans would rise, as all glaciers are on land. They are not in the ocean.

That's what I've been trying to get across. Too many people are trying to brain fvck this with water density and temps...while both will have some effect, the MAJOR effect will be from tha addition of the water that is stored in the glaciers...which are ON LAND.
 

Legend

Platinum Member
Apr 21, 2005
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Ocean levels would increase, somewhat. Areas only slightly above sea level would be screwed. Like large parts of New York City for example.

The biggest problem is that if greenland continues to melt, it would decrease the density of the water in the northern atlantic, and halt the warm water flow to Europe. This would cause the weather in Europe to go down about 10-15 degrees Farenheit (big problem...). The other problem is that with increasing CO2 in the atmosphere and having less ice reflecting sunlight, the entire planet would increase a few degrees. Which isn't so bad until large areas of land change climates dramatically, and large hurricanes form.
 

Legend

Platinum Member
Apr 21, 2005
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Originally posted by: JS80
Originally posted by: feelingshorter
Originally posted by: DaTT
Originally posted by: RGUN
Everyone saying ice in the glass melting = overflow should stop and think before they talk. The ice, which is made out of water is displacing its weight in water... guess what that means???? once it melts, the water level DOES NOT change... it just fills the pocket that it was once displacing

Would water level not drop slightly?

based on what he said, no. Its the ice on land that we have to worry about. When those ice melt, it will cause the world's ocean level to rise somewhat.

ASSume much?

Assume? There's no assuming anything. There are rivers of fresh water pouring into the ocean from ice melting in antartica. This is factual.
 

jjones

Lifer
Oct 9, 2001
15,424
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Yes, the oceans will overflow and spill off the edge of the earth, thus dowsing the sun when it passes below the earth.
 

WiseOldDude

Senior member
Feb 13, 2005
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Originally posted by: BlancoNino
My glass of ice-water won't overflow when the ice cubes melt. It will stay at the same level.

Discuss.

cause glaciers are on land and the water then runs into the ocean. Guess you slept through most of your science classes in school and haven't bothered to take not of pictures of mountains with glaciers running through them.

I know our schools suck, and your concepts prove it.
 

Pacfanweb

Lifer
Jan 2, 2000
13,158
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Originally posted by: Legend
Ocean levels would increase, somewhat. Areas only slightly above sea level would be screwed. Like large parts of New York City for example.

The biggest problem is that if greenland continues to melt, it would decrease the density of the water in the northern atlantic, and halt the warm water flow to Europe. This would cause the weather in Europe to go down about 10-15 degrees Farenheit (big problem...). The other problem is that with increasing CO2 in the atmosphere and having less ice reflecting sunlight, the entire planet would increase a few degrees. Which isn't so bad until large areas of land change climates dramatically, and large hurricanes form.
Nice theory, but there is absolutely no way to state this as fact. The fvcking meteorologists can't even tell us 100% if it's going to rain tomorrow, so they can take their predictions of gloom and doom like the above post and stick it where the sun don't shine. (and they probably can't even tell us where that is, either)

edited: spelling
 

dug777

Lifer
Oct 13, 2004
24,778
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ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaha

I've seen it all now :laugh:
 

Legend

Platinum Member
Apr 21, 2005
2,254
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Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Originally posted by: Legend
Ocean levels would increase, somewhat. Areas only slightly above sea level would be screwed. Like large parts of New York City for example.

The biggest problem is that if greenland continues to melt, it would decrease the density of the water in the northern atlantic, and halt the warm water flow to Europe. This would cause the weather in Europe to go down about 10-15 degrees Farenheit (big problem...). The other problem is that with increasing CO2 in the atmosphere and having less ice reflecting sunlight, the entire planet would increase a few degrees. Which isn't so bad until large areas of land change climates dramatically, and large hurricanes form.
Nice theory, but there is absolutely no way to state this as fact. The fvcking meteorologists can't even tell us 100% if it's going to rain tomorrow, so they can take their predictions of gloom and doom like the above post and stick it where the sun don't shine. (and they probably can't even tell us where that is, either)

edited: spelling

This puts it in better terms:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4485840.stm
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
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I don't know how the ocean could overflow. Perhaps if you still believe the world is flat. :laugh:

Having more ocean space is probably not a bad thing come to think about it. ;)
 

Leeroy

Member
Jun 26, 2006
162
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It's WHY they're melting. As the temperature of the ocean rises, it expands. The oce melting is a symptom, not the problem. Technically, melting all the ice would drop the water level, as ice is less dense, and will hence take up less space if it's melted.
 

Pacfanweb

Lifer
Jan 2, 2000
13,158
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Originally posted by: Legend

This puts it in better terms:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4485840.stm
And it's still unprovable bullshlt.
From the article:
Changes to ocean currents in the Atlantic may cool European weather within a few decades, scientists say.
Their conclusions, reported in the scientific journal Nature, are based on 50 years of Atlantic observations.
Wow. 50 whole years of observation.
Keep reading:
Natural variation

The NOC researchers admit that the case is not yet proven.

The analysis involves only five sets of measurements, made in 1957, 1981, 1992 and 1998 from ships, and in 2004 from a line of research buoys tethered to the ocean floor.
So they measured this FIVE times in 50 years and that's considered good data to work with?
Even if the trend is confirmed by further data, it could be down to natural variability rather than human-induced global temperature change.
Oh, so it might be a natural thing...they just don't know?
"This issue of variability is very important," said Harry Bryden, "and we do not have any good grasp of it.
To answer this question, the Rapid team plans to continue its measurements in the next few years.
Its buoys remain in place, and ships can go to gather their data as often as finance allows.
So they can't afford to take measurements more than five times in 50 years, and we're supposed to take them seriously?

Again, it's all unproven B.S. They have no idea whether this is an actual trend or just something temporary and totally normal.
 

conehead433

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 2002
5,569
901
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Fill a glass with water. Add a few ice cubes so that some parts of the ice cubes stick out above the top of the glass and the water is level with the top of the glass. Watch as the ice cubes melt. Water flows down the outside of the glass. You don't need a degree in physics for this.
 

Skeeedunt

Platinum Member
Oct 7, 2005
2,777
3
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Originally posted by: MS Dawn
I don't know how the ocean could overflow. Perhaps if you still believe the world is flat. :laugh:

Having more ocean space is probably not a bad thing come to think about it. ;)

Less ocean real estate, just more ocean. And if you're running out of ocean... I dunno what to tell you ;)
 
Feb 19, 2001
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Originally posted by: conehead433
Fill a glass with water. Add a few ice cubes so that some parts of the ice cubes stick out above the top of the glass and the water is level with the top of the glass. Watch as the ice cubes melt. Water flows down the outside of the glass. You don't need a degree in physics for this.

Yes but ice expands and so ice is less dense than water. Inconclusive?
 

conehead433

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 2002
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Originally posted by: DLeRium
Originally posted by: conehead433
Fill a glass with water. Add a few ice cubes so that some parts of the ice cubes stick out above the top of the glass and the water is level with the top of the glass. Watch as the ice cubes melt. Water flows down the outside of the glass. You don't need a degree in physics for this.

Yes but ice expands and so ice is less dense than water. Inconclusive?


Ice expands, weighs less than water and therefore floats. The volume of water in the ice cubes (providing parts of the cubes are above the water's surface) exceeds the volume of water that their weight displaces. That's why when it melts the glass will overflow. It's really a simple experiment that proves it's true. Go try it. You'll be out a few ice cubes and will have to wipe some water up.
 

RGUN

Golden Member
Dec 11, 2005
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Originally posted by: conehead433
Fill a glass with water. Add a few ice cubes so that some parts of the ice cubes stick out above the top of the glass and the water is level with the top of the glass. Watch as the ice cubes melt. Water flows down the outside of the glass. You don't need a degree in physics for this.

You're wrong, and no a physics degree probably wouldnt help you out much...
 

RGUN

Golden Member
Dec 11, 2005
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Originally posted by: conehead433
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Originally posted by: conehead433
Fill a glass with water. Add a few ice cubes so that some parts of the ice cubes stick out above the top of the glass and the water is level with the top of the glass. Watch as the ice cubes melt. Water flows down the outside of the glass. You don't need a degree in physics for this.

Yes but ice expands and so ice is less dense than water. Inconclusive?


Ice expands, weighs less than water and therefore floats. The volume of water in the ice cubes (providing parts of the cubes are above the water's surface) exceeds the volume of water that their weight displaces. That's why when it melts the glass will overflow. It's really a simple experiment that proves it's true. Go try it. You'll be out a few ice cubes and will have to wipe some water up.

LOL!! You need to re-read what you wrote... the volume of water in the ice cube exceeds what it displaces? No.. if that were the case then it wouldnt float now would it. The volume of liquid water required to make the ice cube is EXACTLY what is displaces

 

BlancoNino

Diamond Member
Oct 31, 2005
5,695
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Originally posted by: conehead433
Fill a glass with water. Add a few ice cubes so that some parts of the ice cubes stick out above the top of the glass and the water is level with the top of the glass. Watch as the ice cubes melt. Water flows down the outside of the glass. You don't need a degree in physics for this.

Trying it right now. Lets' ssee what happens.
 

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
16,754
64
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Originally posted by: RGUN
Everyone saying ice in the glass melting = overflow should stop and think before they talk. The ice, which is made out of water is displacing its weight in water... guess what that means???? once it melts, the water level DOES NOT change... it just fills the pocket that it was once displacing

You suck at logic:

gla·cier (gla'sh?r) pronunciation
n.

A huge mass of ice slowly flowing over a land mass, formed from compacted snow in an area where snow accumulation exceeds melting and sublimation.