Re: Massive ice shelf collapsing off Antarctica

Wayne Throop wrote:
>> "Martha Adams" <mhada@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>> Are there
>> any *numbers* around about the size and depth of
>> that ice shelf; about how much the ocean goes up
>> if it actually does go in?
>
> However, sea level won't go up at all, no matter how think it was,
> since it was ice supported by water.

[snip]

> Basically, it just exposes a bunch of liquid water that that's been
> overlaid by ice for the last more-than-a-hundred-years.

AFAICT, this particular ice shelf was indeed floating on water, so the
ocean 
level shouldn't change much if/when it melts [1]. I'll note though that 
Antarctica also has a pretty large land mass, also covered in ice, and
when 
that ice starts melting the ocean level *will* rise.

[1]. I'm purposely ignoring the difference in density between sweet and 
salty water.

-- 
Regards,

Cosmin Corbea