3 ms·
Sea ice is floating. That means that it is already displacing water. When it melts, it fills the volume that it was displacing, and total sea levels remain near
by ori_b 10y ago
Sea ice is floating. That means that it is already displacing water. When it melts, it fills the volume that it was displacing, and total sea levels remain nearly constant (the difference coming from salt concentration)
Sea level rise comes from glaciers on land melting. That is also happening, but more slowly, because convection moves heat more efficiently in the ocean.
- tedsanders 10y agoA significant, possibly majority, of the expected sea level rise will come from thermal expansion. Melting land ice may be a minority factor. https://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/411.htm https://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/411.htm