Thermal Expansion Of Sea Water Associated With Global Warming

The relationship between greenhouse gas forcing global mean temperature change and sea level rise due to thermal expansion of the oceans is investigated using upwellingdiffusion and pure diffusion models. The greenhouse gas induced thermal expansion contribution to sea level rise between 1880 and 1985 is estimated at 2 5 cm.

Density Anomalies Of Water

Graphing Sea Level Trends Activity Nasa Jpl Edu

Slbc Cci Background Professur Fur Geodatische Erdsystemforschung

About half of the sea level rise over the past 25 years is attributable to warmer oceans simply occupying more space.

Thermal expansion of sea water associated with global warming. Sea level can mount due to two factors melting ice and the thermal expansion of water as it warms. Further movements of the land occurring for natural reasons due for instance to tectonic movements or because of human activities for instance the removal of groundwater can have comparable effects to the rate of sea level rise arising from global warming. But a fresh look at the latest satellite data from 2002.

Projections are made to the year 2025 for different forcing scenarios. Until now researchers have believed the oceans rose between 07 to 1mm per year due to thermal expansion. The combination of seawaters thermal expansion associated with this warming and the melting of mountain glaciers is predicted to lead to an increase in global sea level of 045082 metre 1427 feet by 2100 under the rcp 85 emissions scenario.

However the actual rise in sea level could be considerably greater than this. The sensitivities of sea level to short timescale forcing and deep water formation rate changes are examined. Ocean water expands as it warms filling larger volumes.

The relationship between greenhouse gas forcing global mean temperature change and sea level rise due to thermal expansion of the oceans is investigated using upwellingdiffusion and pure diffusion models. Sea level rise however will not be uniform over the globe10 the effects of thermal expansion in the oceans varies considerably with location. When water heats up it expands.

The two major causes of global sea level rise are thermal expansion caused by warming of the ocean since water expands as it warms and increased melting of land based ice such as glaciers and ice sheets. The ocean absorbs more than 90 percent of the heat that greenhouse gases trap in earths atmosphere making thermal expansion a significant contributor to global sea level rise about one third of the total observed. The oceans are absorbing more than 90 percent of the increased atmospheric heat associated with emissions from human activity.

At the present warming of ocean water is raising global sea level because water expands when it warms technical details if done without a bunsen burner this activity can be performed in any classroom. For the period 1985 2025 the estimate of greenhouse gas induced warming is 06 10 0c. The sensitivities of sea level to short timescale forcing and deep water formation rate changes are examined.