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Originally Posted by prashamk
I was wondering about some info on water and ice.
Is there any comparison between volume of Water and Ice? I would like to know if liquid and solid (ice) forms of H2O have same volume. Any guidance from experts?
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The reason ice floats is because it is less dense than water. It is one of the few (if not the only) compounds(?) that gets less dense when it goes from a liquid form to a solid form. However, all of the ice/water that makes up the arctic ice cap is already in the ocean. Therefore, as it melts it won't change the ocean's water level. You can check this by filling a glass with ice (not above the rim), then adding water to float the ice. Mark the water level. Let the ice melt. Observe the water level.
The concern about global warming raising ocean water levels is based on the ice cap on Greenland (mostly) with a little added from Siberia and maybe northern Canada melting. This ice/snow cap is on land and the runoff will ADD water to the oceans.