Title: 
Headings: Thermal Expansion and Sea Level Rise
Thermal
 
Expansion
 
and
 
Sea
 
Level
 
Rise
 

Activity
 
Summary:

Related
 
sites
 
with
 
further
 
classroom
 
applications
 

News
 
/
 
Press
   

Agency
 
reports
 
with
 
reputable
 
graphics
 
and
 
background
 
information
 


Content: Common
 
Preconceptions
 

 
The
 
melting
 
of
 
sea
 
ice
 
will
 
increase
 
sea
 
level. Actually
 
this
 
contributes
 
very
 
little
 
to
 
sea
 
level
 
rise. This
 
is
 
a
 
consequence
 
of
 
Archimedes'
 
principle
 
of
 
buoyancy. The
 
mass
 
of
 
floating
 
ice
 
(above
 
and
 
below
 
water
 
both)
 
is
 
identical
 
to
 
the
 
mass
 
of
 
the
 
water
 
displaced. If
 
the
 
ice
 
melts
 
into
 
water,
 
its
 
density
 
decreases
 
but
 
is
 
mass
 
is
 
the
 
same,
 
and
 
water
 
level
 
is
 
unchanged. Thermal
 
expansion
 
and
 
glacial
 
melt
 
will
 
have
 
a
 
greater
 
contribution
 
and
 
lasting
 
effect
 
on
 
sea
 
level. Coastal
 
erosion
 
is
 
an
 
unusual
 
process. Erosion
 
is
 
an
 
integral
 
part
 
of
 
natural
 
coastal
 
processes
 
which
 
have
 
formed
 
beaches
 
and
 
shorelines
 
and
 
which
 
maintain
 
them
 
in
 
a
 
condition
 
we
 
can
 
all
 
enjoy. However,
 
an
 
increase
 
in
 
sea
 
level
 
will
 
exacerbate
 
coastal
 
erosion,
 
particularly
 
during
 
large
 
storm
 
events,
 
by
 
increasing
 
the
 
vulnerability
 
of
 
coastal
 
areas. Background
  
(from
 
the
 
Water
 
Encyclopedia
 
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com
 
)
 
Sea
 
level
 
is
 
the
 
level
 
of
 
the
 
sea
 
after
 
averaging
 
out
 
the
 
short-term
 
variations
 
due
 
to
 
wind
 
waves.