After performing the melting icebergs experiment I can conclude that if the icebergs melt the water level will rise. How much it will rise and how fast will depend on many factors. Some factors to consider are, how much of the icebergs are melting each day? What is the total percentage of ice that currently exists? Are the oceans and seas at maximum capacity or does it have room to raise if the icebergs melt?
After performing this experiment I had three main questions that I wanted to further investigate. The first question was what would happen if I repeated the experiment again but this time added more ice to the bowl? Just as I hypothesized, the more ice the quicker and easier the water flowed out of the bowl. The next question that I had was what would happen if there were strong gusts of wind for a long period of time? Sure enough, when I blew onto the water it pushed the water out of the confinement of the bowl. The last question I had was what would happen if there was a long period of rain? Any additional water that was added to the bowl overflowed, which showed how quickly lands could become flooded. I also observed through my experimentation that if the icebergs quickly shifted as a unit or one iceberg slide off of another it caused a wave like effect and the water overflowed.
Sometimes the biggest mistakes turn out to be the greatest inventions!
Good observations with your further investigation. It's amazing how little changes can greatly affect the effects of the melting iceburgs. I think the most realistic observation you made was your last one. "If the iceburgs shifted quickly....it caused a wave like effect". This could be a very detrimental situation, causing large waves to occur and creating a tsunami like effect. Good observation.
ReplyDeleteYou have some interesting thoughts. Have you considered your hypotheses may be a part of a series of causes and effects? Warm air causes air movement, which causes an acceleration of ice melt. When ice gives way to open water, more heat is absorbed, and air warms still further.
ReplyDeleteDan