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Scientific activity Climate • Oceans

Sea Level Rise and Climate

Is the melting of glaciers or icebergs causing sea level rise? In this activity, you will compare two simple situations to understand why not all ice plays the same role in sea level changes.

Duration
20 to 30 min
Difficulty
Easy
Theme
Sea level • Climate

What you need to understand before starting

Glacier and iceberg: what's the difference?

  • A glacier is a mass of ice located on continents.
  • An iceberg is a block of ice already floating in the ocean.
Both can melt, but they do not have the same effect on sea level.

Why can sea level rise?

Sea level rises mainly when new water enters the ocean, for example due to the melting of continental glaciers. It also rises when seawater warms and takes up more space: this is thermal expansion.

In this activity, we focus only on the effect of ice melting.
Remember: ice that is already floating does not behave like ice located on land.

Scientific problem

First situation

What happens when floating ice melts in water?

Floating ice already displaces a certain volume of water. Therefore, when it melts, the water level is expected to change very little.

Second situation

What happens when ice located outside the water melts and then joins the ocean?

In this case, melting adds extra water to the container: an increase in the water level is expected.

Key idea: floating ice and ice resting on land do not produce the same effect.

Materials

Required materials

  • 2 identical transparent containers
  • 2 ice cubes of similar size if possible
  • Water
  • A dry-erase marker or a piece of tape to mark levels
  • A small platform that stays above water: spoon, small sieve, cork or lid

Setup tips

  • Place the two containers side by side.
  • Use ice cubes as similar as possible.
  • Work on a stable, flat surface.
The goal is to compare two situations under the same conditions.
Tip: mark the levels clearly at the start, then do not touch the containers during melting.

Experiment: comparing an iceberg and a glacier

Setup A: iceberg model

Fill container A halfway with water.
Add an ice cube to the water: it should float freely.
Mark the initial level on the container.
Let the ice cube melt completely without interference.
Then observe the final level.

Setup B: continental glacier model

Fill container B halfway with water.
Place a small platform above the water, like an emergent land.
Put an ice cube on this platform, without touching the water at first.
Mark the initial level on the container.
Let it melt completely: the resulting water must join the container.
Then observe the final level.
For reliable results
  • Use two ice cubes of as similar size as possible.
  • Don't press ice cubes against the container walls.
  • Read levels at eye height.
  • Ensure the platform does not touch the water at the start.

Results: water level

Setup Model Level at start Level at end Observed change Interpretation
A Floating iceberg
B Glacier on land
What matters here is not only the absolute measurement, but mainly the comparison between the two setups.

Analysis questions

1. In which setup does the water level increase the most?

2. Why does melting an iceberg barely change the water level?

3. Why does melting a continental glacier cause the water level to rise?

4. Why is it important to distinguish floating ice from ice on continents?

Help to verify your reasoning
  • Floating ice already displaced a volume of water equal to its weight: its melting barely changes the level.
  • Ice on land adds new water when it melts: the level rises.
  • Therefore, it’s important to distinguish ice already in the ocean from ice on continents.
Important point: in the real world, sea level rise is not only caused by glacier melting. Ocean warming also causes thermal expansion: warm water occupies more volume.

Conclusion

What causes sea level rise

Melting of ice located on continents, such as glaciers or some polar ice caps, adds water to the oceans. This directly contributes to sea level rise.

What has very little effect

Melting of ice already floating, like an iceberg, barely changes water level, because this ice already displaces an equal volume of water to its weight.

Remember: not all ice plays the same role. To understand sea level rise, you must distinguish ice already in the water from ice on continents.
SVsansT — Activity « Sea Level Rise » • Understanding the difference between floating ice and continental glaciers.
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