[Phys-L] Re: A "simple" physics problem?

[Robert Cohen <Robert.Cohen@PO-BOX.ESU.EDU>]

On Thursday, April 07, 2005 10:10 PM, Vickie Frohne wrote:

> BTW, this question is tied into some environmental issues.
> Any rise in the ocean levels due to global warming will be
> due to ice that's currently on land (ice sheets in Greenland
> or Antarctica). Melting sea ice (i.e. the north polar ice
> cap)will not contribute to the rise in sea level because
> floating sea ice is already displacing ocean water.

That assumes there is no heavier-than-water object resting on (or in)
the ice?

On Friday, April 08, 2005 10:37 AM, Herbert H Gottlieb wrote:

> Please don't forget that as the sea water becomes warmer
> it heats the air above the water. The warmer air can hold
> much more moisture making the sea level even lower by an
> rch or two.

And so global warming, by warming the water, will lead to additional
evaporational cooling, which will cool the air back down to normal?

On Friday, April 08, 2005 1:14 PM, Brian Whatcott wrote:

> I may be missing something.  Moist air is less dense:
> its columnar weight is less than dry air, so a water level
> beneath it would rise.

Assuming the pressure is the same.  As you point out, the surface
air pressure is closely related to the total columnar mass.
Evaporating water into the column will *increase* the air pressure,
won't it?

____________________________________________________
Robert Cohen; 570-422-3428; www.esu.edu/~bbq
East Stroudsburg University; E. Stroudsburg, PA 18301
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