large iceberg on its way

[varek]

Large iceberg from Antarctica is floating north. When it melts it could raise the level of the oceans--only slightly, perhaps, but not a good portent for the future.

You might consider selling your beachfront property now.

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/265553/huge-antarctic-iceberg-heads-for-open-ocean

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Icebergs do not raise the level of the ocean when they melt.

 

[scotthm]

Large iceberg from Antarctica is floating north.

That seems logical.

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[YellowSubmarine]

Large iceberg from Antarctica is floating north.

That seems logical.

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Logical? The Earth is an oblate spheroid, so any icebergs should be floating towards the poles where the ocean surface is lower. Besides, south is always at the bottom of the map, so the iceberg should be floating in the direction of gravity, unless it wants to get arrested for violating it. And like everyone knows, siphons work due to atmospheric pressure, so the atmospheric pressure should be working on icebergs just the same, pressing them downwards. So once the iceberg melts the water level decreases. To further explain the oblateness of the planet, once must assume that the water level decreases only at the poles, hence icebergs must melt there, therefore the poles are hotter than the equator.

Now that's logical.

 

[RoJoHen]

Icebergs do not raise the level of the ocean when they melt.

Wouldn't it actually lower the level of the ocean, since water expands when it freezes?

 

[YellowSubmarine]

It displaces only its mass of water, so there should be no change to the water level at all. The expansion results in the tip of the iceberg that sticks above the water. Of course, if you consider the iceberg as an inseparable part of the water, the average water level has increased, because its tip is above sea level (i.e. if all the ocean was frozen, the surface would be higher).

 

[Melakon]

Let me know if it comes anywhere near Arizona.

 

[T'Girl]

This body will make for a plentiful source of fresh water, propel it into a suitable sized cove, build a enclosure around it and let it melt.

Pump the resulting fresh fluid to where it's needed, Brazil currently is experiencing a drought.