Re: Huge Antarctic ice chunk collapses

Bryan,

  I want you to do an experiment.  Fill two straight water glasses with ice cubes, and put them on the counter. For this demo try to use the same number of roughly equal sized cubes, and don't let the ice go above the brim.

  In the first glass, holding down the cubes in the class i.e. keep them from floating (use a paper clip or something smaller than your finger).  I want you to fill the glass to the brim with cold tap water.   Then gently let the ice cubes go (no messes please). 

  In the second glass  we'll do a control experiment, fill the second glass to the brim with more cold tap water, but this time let the ice cubes float as you pour the water.  Try not to spill.

  For both glasses try to pour the water up to and even with the brim of the glasses, I know you could pour a big bulging meniscus on the water, but it has no bearing on the demonstration. 

 Now I want you to wait an hour or so until the ice is all melted.  Tell us where the water level in the glasses ends up.

  The point is that neither glass will overflow.  In fact both glasses will end up with water below the brim.  So Waterworld isn't gonna happen when floating ice melts in the ocean.

  My challenge to you is this.  Which glass ends up with more water in it after all the ice melts.