Sketching Assignment - Coasts/Beaches and Sea-Level Rise Activity 2: Seo-Level C
ID: 117641 • Letter: S
Question
Sketching Assignment - Coasts/Beaches and Sea-Level Rise Activity 2: Seo-Level Calculations Listed below are data about the present surface area of the oceans and estimates for the amount of ice that (1) is present today and (2) was present when glaciers were at a maximum 20,000 years ago. Use these data to complete all calculations. The surface area of the oceans is 361,000,000 km2 .The total amount of ice (ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers) currently present on the planet is estimated to be 32,000,000 km .During the last glacial maximum, 20,000 years ago, the amount of ice is estimated to have been 52,000,000 km2 more than is present today. Your calculations will determine how much water is used to make this additional amount of ice, and how much this would lower sea level. When ice melts, the volume of water produced is about 0.9 times the volume of the ice. That is the volume of water produced is only 90% of the volume of ice Use the data above to calculate the following situations. 1. Calculate how much water would be released if all the ice on the planet melted (an unlikely scenario for any time soon). For this calculation the equation is: the volume of water gained the volume of ice X0.9 (converting ice to water) 2. Calculate the volume of water that would be tied up in ice if the glaciers returned to the same volume as 20,000 years ago. For this calculation, the equation is: the volume of water lost the volume of ice 20,000 years ago X 0.9 (converting ice to water).Explanation / Answer
Q1
Volume of water released when 32,000,000km3(present level) of ice will melt =
Density = mass/ volume (and since density of water = 1, therefore volume of ice = weight of ice)
1=mass/volume or mass of ice = volume of ice
1m3=1000litres and 1000m3 or 1km3=1000 x 1000 litres or 106litres of ice
32,000,000km3 of ice = 32,000,000 x 106 litres of ice or 32 x 1012litres of ice
32 x 1012litres of ice = 0.9 x 32 x 1012litres of water = 28.8 x 1012litres of water
Volume of water released when 32,000,000km3(present level) of ice will melt = 28.8 x 1012litres of water.
Q2
If the glacier retured to the same volume as per 20,000 years ago then extra volume of ice would be = 52,000,000km3 - 32,000,000km3 = 20,000,000km3 = 2 x 1013 litres of ice
Extra volume of water required for 2 x 1013 litres of ice = 2 x 1013 x 0.9 = 1.8 x 1013 litres of water
Q3
Rise in sea level from melting ice in meters = volume of ice melted/ surface area of ocean
= 32,000,000km3/ 361,000,000km2
=32,000,000km3 x 0.9/361,000,000km2(Since 1 km2 of ice will 1 x 0.9 km2 of water)
= 0.07977km or 73.77meters
Fall in sea level from growth in glacier = volume of extra ice/ suface area of the ocean
= 20,000,000km3 x 0.9/361,000,000km2 (Since 1 km2 of ice will require 1 x 0.9 km2 of water)
= 0.06155km or 61.55 meters
Q4.
Coastal areas will flood down if the sea level increase because the extra water will towards the landward side thus the shoreline will be shifted towards the cities to accomodate the extra water if the glacier will melt and the areas near the shore line will be drowned under water.
The opposite effect will happen if the shore line shift towards the seaward side because water is required for glaciers to form and hence the amount of water in the ocean will decrease and this will effect the ecosystem of the ocean.
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