# If the polar caps were cut into ice cubes, would the global temperature rise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908 "2021-09-01T16:31:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mu34tant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/0ea827/32.png) [@mu34tant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mu34tant)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/1 "2021-09-01T16:31:37Z")
Would the unnatural loss of polar ice cause the global entropy to warm? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/2 "2021-09-01T17:14:00Z")
You actual post asks a different question than the title. I’d think that merely cutting the ice caps into small cubes won’t affect the net temperature. But having them suddenly vanish (naturally or not) is a whole different question. What is it that you’re _really_ asking about? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/3 "2021-09-01T17:47:38Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I’d think that merely cutting the ice caps into small cubes won’t affect the net temperature. If they were left in situ, I’d agree. If they were then distributed around the world it would mean all the cubes in warm regions melting in minutes instead of centuries, and all that water dumped at once into the atmosphere and later the oceans would have to have significant consequences. All in all, it is probably better to not do it. ---
**Author:** ![mu34tant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/0ea827/32.png) [@mu34tant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mu34tant)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/4 "2021-09-01T17:55:54Z")
Alright lets give a time frame of a week. What would happen? ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/5 "2021-09-01T18:02:36Z")
Wouldn’t the huge increase in surface area resulting in much faster melting? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/6 "2021-09-01T18:21:23Z")
Yes, but only if they were scattered so that the surface area were exposed. But if the caps were sliced with some sort of magic sword and left in place, then no. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/7 "2021-09-01T18:27:51Z")
I assume this means polar ice caps removed and redistributed around the world, where the ice would melt very quickly. What would happen: 1. The rate of polar warming at both poles would accelerate enormously, and average global temperature would follow. 2. There would be major changes in atmosphere and ocean circulation systems, leading to widespread regional climate changes and very extreme weather all over the world. 3. The earth’s climate sensitivity – the response to any given increase in CO2 – would nearly triple. Global temperatures would soar. 4. Sea level would rise about 230 feet, wiping out all coastal cities and completely changing the map of the world. 5. Most likely, the majority of the world’s population would die, for a variety of reasons like heat, disease, flooding, and extreme weather, but mostly from famine. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/8 "2021-09-01T18:46:06Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > 1. The earth’s climate sensitivity – the response to any given increase in CO2 – would nearly triple. What would cause this? The loss of so much land area, or something else? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/9 "2021-09-01T18:59:38Z")
Climate sensitivity is a function of the climate forcing caused by increase of greenhouse gases and the sum of all feedbacks, positive and negative. Removal of the polar ice caps would tremendously increase the ice-albedo feedback, because suddenly the polar areas would be much darker and absorb much more thermal energy. Ocean water and land are both much darker than ice cover. The climate scientist James Hansen has estimated that current estimates of climate sensitivity would totally skyrocket if there was significant loss of polar ice because the feedback equation would change massively. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/10 "2021-09-01T19:26:51Z")
Wow. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![mu34tant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/0ea827/32.png) [@mu34tant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mu34tant)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/11 "2021-09-02T19:15:43Z")
A big giant laser could slice the caps into ice cubes resulting in a catastrophic global event. Did anybody notice how straight the edges are on some icebergs? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/12 "2021-09-02T19:33:38Z")
Clearly some of those icebergs were created by the Jewish Space Laser. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2021, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/13 "2021-09-03T06:12:59Z")
Nobody has mentioned the heat generated by whatever device is used to cut the polar icecaps into cubes. That heat would go into the atmosphere, increasing the global temp. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2021, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/14 "2021-09-03T09:17:45Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > If they were left in situ, I’d agree. They’re not going to stay exactly in situ, I would imagine - cutting them into cubes would cause them to slump at least a bit, and certainly at the edges (not sure what the angle of repose would be for ice cubes, but I’m assuming it might be shallower than for, say, gravel) - parts further inland might refreeze together before there’s anywhere for them to slump to, but even then, would the refrozen mass of ice cubes have the same integrity as a solid block of ice? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2021, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/15 "2021-09-03T09:38:17Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > Nobody has mentioned the heat generated by whatever device is used to cut the polar icecaps into cubes. Actually, that’s exactly why I referred to a device that does NOT generate heat: > [@Keeve](#): > > But if the caps were sliced with some sort of magic sword and left in place, then no. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/16 "2021-09-03T14:38:59Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > parts further inland might refreeze together before there’s anywhere for them to slump to In sub-zero temps and under even light pressure, they should refreeze together almost instantly. Think tounge on flagpole. ---
**Author:** ![mu34tant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/0ea827/32.png) [@mu34tant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mu34tant)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-polar-caps-were-cut-into-ice-cubes-would-the-global-temperature-rise/949908/17 "2021-09-08T16:31:18Z")
The device would be above the atmosphere.