If all of the ice now stored in Antarctica's glaciers melted, what would happen? A) Sea water would become fresh enough to drink because glaciers are made of fresh water. B) Sea level would rise flooding many coastal cities. C) Icebergs would float to the equatorial regions of the earth where they would lower the temperature and cause the climate to become cooler. D) Because glacial melt water is less dense than sea water, the glacial melt will float on top of the ocean and not affect the land areas.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If all of the ice stored in Antarctica's glaciers melted, it would contribute to a significant rise in sea level, potentially flooding many coastal cities and low-lying areas. Glaciers are formed from fresh water but they would melt into the salty ocean, not making seawater fresh enough to drink. As for option C and D, icebergs naturally float and are already present in equatorial regions, and although meltwater is less dense than seawater it would still contribute to a rise in sea level.

If All of the Ice Now Stored in Antarctica's Glaciers