On Thermal Expansion & Thermal Contraction - 2

Fig. 1

The graph at Fig. 1 shows ocean water temperature fluctuations in WOD zone 7015 (Dredd Blog zone AM.SW.SE), in the Christmas Island area.

That is what is happening "down under" the surface where most of the water is.

The graph at Fig. 2 shows what has been happening in that zone concering sea level change as measured by PSMSL tide gauge stations #1361, #801, and #1371.

Fig. 2

In terms of thermal expansion and contraction (On Thermal Expansion & Thermal Contraction), it is not difficult to see that there is, like waves on the surface when they interact, cancellation or mitigation of impact.

That is, should thermal expansion take place on the surface due to warming by sunlight, it can be neutralized or enhanced by what is happening down under where most of the water is.

Fig. 3 Ocean Temperatures

The graph at Fig. 2 bolsters the notion that sea level change (SLC) is not tightly coupled with temperature sufficiently enough to equate sea level change MOSTLY to thermal expansion.

Dredd Blog readers and I have learned together, that the ice sheets of the planet are the MAJOR contributors to SLC, and have been so since the industrial revolution (Why Sea Level Rise May Be The Greatest Threat To Civilization, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Fig. 4 Sea level fall, Juneau, AK

I am not speaking of the minor contribution of thermal expansion and contraction, I am speaking of the fingerprints of reality (SLC Fingerprints R Us, 2).

The ocean temperature at the same depths for S.E. Alaska is shown in Fig. 3, and the PSMSL tide gauge station records for that area (Fig. 4), showing sea level fall consistently during the same locale and time frame, illustrate the point further.

The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.

---

"It makes we wonder what's going on down under  ..."

---