Question 1: Calculate how much sea level will rise by due to thermal expansion, assuming a 2oC temperature rise from global warming.
Ice Sheets
The second major way of causing sea levels to rise is by putting more water into the oceans. The biggest reservoirs of freshwater are those locked up in ice sheets. You can assume that 361 km3 of ice or snow is the equivalent of 1 mm of sea level change. Using this value, estimate the amount of sea level change that would occur if the snow / ice masses in Table 1 melted completely. Note the different units used for different measurements in the table!
Table 1. Ice and Snow Calculations.
Ice / Snow mass Area (106 km2) Average Thickness (m) Volume (km3) Sea Level Equivalent (mm)
All Snow – – 50,000
All Mountain Glaciers 0.54 241
Greenland Ice Sheet 0.996 1706
West Antarctic Ice Sheet 1.2 1800
East Antarctic Ice Sheet 11.2 2010
Now that you have completed your calculations, for this assessment, answer:
Question 2. Which reservoir of freshwater is the largest potential contributor to global sea level rise?
Question 3. Assuming no thermal expansion of the oceans, what is the LARGEST sea level change that is possible?
Question 4. What is the LARGEST possible sea level change with the inclusion of thermal expansion?
