As the polar ice breaks up, weren't we promised higher ocean levels?

Question

Where are they?

This article points out that the north pole ice might break up this summer. http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080627/sc_livescience/northpolecouldbeicefreethissummer

Did somebody just get the math wrong? Or is the southern ice expanding at the same rate that the north is receding?

Answer 1

First of all, if the ice caps are breaking up... are they also melting?  Regardless, there is no land mass in the arctic ocean.  Therefore the ice in the ocean is displacing water equal to the volume of the ice.  When the ice melts (if it is melting), the level of the ocean will not be affected.

So here is a science experiment to test this.

Fill a glass with ice cubes.  Then add water to the top of the glass right at the rim.  Then let the ice melt say about 2 hours or so.  The level of the water does not change.  

The ice on Antarctica is growing on the land and not in the ocean.  It would be nearly impossible to measure all the water leaving and entering the north and south pole regions to determine if the southern ice is expanding at the same rate as the north ice is receeding which wouldn't change the ocean level anyway.

Answer 2

i dont think you can calculate it that accurately. sooner or later or never.

Answer 3

Put some ice cubes in a glass of water and partially fill it so that ice is still above the water level.  Wait until it melts and see the level change.  That's your answer.

Answer 4

The whole this is a hoax and the water level has not changed since 1999 as ice melting has less volume than icebergs to start with so would not affected in either case, but the ice recede and advances often.  

remember in 1970 the computer simulation predicted the next ice age, this is the same computer group that now predicting global warming and higher ocean levels!!

Answer 5

the polar ice is melting but the global temperatures are cooling. some hippies pressurised the bbc int not publishing the report. sadly you cant get the real truth about global warming as governments are using it as a excuse for taxes , invading iraq , banning coal fires ect . global warming  is mostly a conspiricy so dont belive everything you read.

Answer 6

Polar ice breaking up is not a problem, it's a problem when it melts.

"Or is the southern ice expanding at the same rate that the north is receding?"

It could be.  

Also, ocean levels are difficult to calculate.  Tides, combined with the fact that the oceans do not form perfect spheres, makes it very difficult to calculate ocean levels.