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That is not true, sea ice melting does cause sea level increases, you are forgetting that sea water is salt water: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18841-
by vskarine 10y ago
That is not true, sea ice melting does cause sea level increases, you are forgetting that sea water is salt water: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18841-melting-icebergs-boost-sea-level-rise/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18841-melting-iceberg...
"Fresh water, of which icebergs are made, is less dense than salty sea water. So while the amount of sea water displaced by the iceberg is equal to its weight, the melted fresh water will take up a slightly larger volume than the displaced salt water. This results in a small increase in the water level."
- pxeboot 10y ago'Sea ice' generally refers to ocean water that freezes during the winter though, not iceburgs that come from ice sheets and glaciers.
- flukus 10y agoTechnically correct, but a tad toward the pedantic side.
- cr1895 10y agoWhile icebergs are "ice in the sea" they are formed from terrestrial glaciers. Ergo, they are not sea ice. Sea ice is formed from the freezing sea surface from water that is already part of the ocean. You're technically right in some way though: sea ice is highly reflective. When it melts the surface albedo changes and the ocean absorbs more heat, which does increase its volume and contributes to greater warming (see: ice-albedo feedback).