But when fresh water in an iceberg is floating on sea water, it displaces just as much sea water as it will displace once it melts.
Except for the part above the surface of the sea.
Geno
Actually I'm wrong and Steelhead is right (no shocker there). I knew I was missing something.
A freshwater iceberg will displace the equivalent mass of seawater when floating - but when the iceberg melts the volume of the water in the iceberg is added to the volume of the seawater - so it ends up in a net sea level rise.
Mass versus mass for displacement with solid masses and water, but volume plus volume for water added to water. Since seawater is denser than fresh water, the iceberg displaces less seawater than equivalent volumes of freshwater and seawater would make up.
Never doubt a coastie when he talks water.
