Question

Paul Hudson, Scientists believe that climate change will lead to the polar ice caps melting and cause sea levels to rise. As ice is less dense that water and 9 tenths of an ice berg is below the surface of the sea then surely the icebergs melting will cause the sea levels to drop? Water is unusual as it actually expands when it turns to a solid. Therefore, the water frozen in an iceberg will displace more of the sea than if it was water. I'm sure you have a good answer to this question. Thanks for reading, Chris Battye, Halifax.
Asked by Chrisbattye on May 31 2008 4:43:29 PM and supported by 49 members MORE!

Answer

The main constituent of rising sea levels comes from the thermal expansion of the oceans as temperatures rise. Land based melting ice and snow will also contribute, but obviously melting ice burgs won’t for the reasons stated by the questioner!

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