Question

Global warming will produce rising sea levels partly due to melting ice caps but also due to the expansion of water as average ocean temperatures rise. To get some idea of the size of this effect calculate the change in length of a column of water 1.00 km high for a temperature increase of 1.00ºC. Note that this calculation is only approximate because ocean warming is not uniform with depth.

a) (0.1 cm)
b) (1.0 cm)
c) (10.0 cm)
d) (100.0 cm)

Answer 1

Global warming causes rising sea levels through melting ice caps and the expansion of water as it warms. A 1.00 km column of water will expand when its temperature is increased by 1.00°C, contributing to higher sea levels.

Step-by-step explanation:

Global warming contributes to rising sea levels through two main mechanisms: the melting of ice caps and the thermal expansion of seawater as ocean temperatures rise. When considering a 1.00 km high column of water, the temperature increase of 1.00°C will result in the column expanding due to the water's decreased density at higher temperatures. The precise effect of this expansion is dependent on the coefficient of thermal expansion for seawater, but even a small change in volume can have a significant impact on sea levels considering the vast quantities of water in the oceans. Although the question does not provide the exact coefficient needed for the calculation, it leads us to understand the significance of thermal expansion in contributing to rising sea levels.