A brief explanation for the earth changes to come.

Global warming is a real phenomenon. Whether or not it is man-made, or a natural process it is real. On this date, October 27, 2006, few can deny that it is a real phenomenon.

Scientists predict that the ice that covers Greenland will melt entirely sometime within the next 20-50 years. Most estimates place the volume of ice covering Greenland at 2.6 million cubic kilometers. This is equivalent to 2.6 trillion million liters of water (one liter of water is also one kilogram of water, or about 2.2 pounds). If Greenland melts, the sea level will rise by 23 feet.

The shape of the Earth is determined by a very simple set of variables (not really, but for the sake of explanation, this is a simplified version). The first of these is the fact that the inside of our planet is a shifting, molten, moving mass of rock and metal -- essentially a liquid. The second is that the crust, relative to the rest of the earth's layers, is extremely thin. This makes the structure of the earth very similar to a giant water balloon. Anyone who's played with water balloons knows that if you push on one side of it, the rest of the balloon expands to accomodate the pressure inside it. The earth's shape is determined by what is pressing on its sides, such as the oceans, mountains, dirt, sand, rocks, and glaciers. When any of these things is moved around in sufficient quantity, the shape of the earth changes to accomodate.

Over time, the 2.6 trillion million kilograms of frozen water sitting atop Greenland will slowly melt away. All of that weight which was pushing steadily downward on that part of the crust will be lifted, causing Greenland to lift up. A similar process happens when you get off of a surf board or a raft. As your weight is lifted, the foam raft or board floats higher in the water. This happens with continental crust as well.

The mass that is redistributed across the planet will also have an effect on the shape of the earth. A common misconception is that the earth is perfectly round. It is not. The earth has a pronounced bulge at its midsection. The bulge is caused by the fact that there is more weight pressing down on the poles than at the equator. Like the balloon, the earth has formed with two large masses pushing on its top and bottom.

With Greenland's ice melted, and more weight on the equator, the bulge of the earth will lessen. What the lessening bulge will mean to the crust is an unknown. Most likely, the reshaping will cause massive earthquakes as the plates shift. Another likelihood is widespread volcanic eruptions because of the sheer volume of magma which will be moving under the crust.