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2. The continent of Antarctica is covered almost everywhere with thick white ice. What would happen to sea level if all this ice were to melt? This is an important question because continued climate change will increase the rate of melting (though scientists suspect it would take thousands of years for the ice to melt entirely). To answer a question like this one, you will need the following data: • The total land area of Antarctica is about 14 million square kilometers. • the mean (average) thickness of Antarctica ice is about 2.15 kilometers. • Earth's oceans cover a total surface area of about 340 million square kilometers. • When ice melts into water, the resulting water volume is about 5/6 of the original ice volume. (a) What is the total volume of the ice sheet on Antarctica in cubic kilometers? (Hint: You need only two of the pieces of data listed above.) (b) If all this ice were to melt, what volume of liquid water would it represent? (c) Suppose all the water from melted ice flowed into Earth's oceans. Assume that the total surface area of the oceans does not change - that is, the oceans stay in the same basin, rather than spreading out over the continents. How much would sea level rise? Give your answer in kilometers. (Bonus: Do you think the assumption of the ocean surface area staying constant is valid? Why or why not?) (d) The Greenland ice sheet contains about 10% as much ice as the Antarctica ice sheet. How much would sea level rise if the Greenland ice sheet melted?

2. The continent of Antarctica is covered almost everywhere with thick white ice. What would happen to sea level if all this ice were to melt? This is an important question because continued climate change will increase the rate of melting (though scientists suspect it would take thousands of years for the ice to melt entirely). To answer a question like this one, you will need the following data:
• The total land area of Antarctica is about 14 million square kilometers.
• the mean (average) thickness of Antarctica ice is about 2.15 kilometers.
• Earth's oceans cover a total surface area of about 340 million square kilometers.
• When ice melts into water, the resulting water volume is about 5/6 of the original ice volume.
(a) What is the total volume of the ice sheet on Antarctica in cubic kilometers? (Hint: You need only two of the pieces of data listed above.)
(b) If all this ice were to melt, what volume of liquid water would it represent?
(c) Suppose all the water from melted ice flowed into Earth's oceans. Assume that the total surface area of the oceans does not change - that is, the oceans stay in the same basin, rather than spreading out over the continents. How much would sea level rise? Give your answer in kilometers. (Bonus: Do you think the assumption of the ocean surface area staying constant is valid? Why or why not?)
(d) The Greenland ice sheet contains about 10% as much ice as the Antarctica ice sheet. How much would sea level rise if the Greenland ice sheet melted?

Added by Katherine Y.

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