Estimate the rate of freshwater mass production (kg s-1) b the melting of the North American ice sheet, assuming its melting took 500 years. How does this compare with the rate of deep-water formation in the North Atlantic, which is estimated to be about 2 x 10^10 kg s-1 at present?
To estimate the rate of freshwater mass production by the melting of the North American ice sheet, we need to use the given information that its melting took 500 years.
Step 1: Find the total mass of the North American ice sheet that melted.
Let's assume that the total mass of the North American ice sheet is M kg.
Step 2: Calculate the rate of mass production per unit time.
The rate of mass production is simply the total mass divided by the time taken. So, it can be expressed as:
Rate of mass production = (Total mass of ice sheet) / (Time taken)
Step 3: Substitute the given values into the equation.
In this case, the time taken is 500 years.
Rate of mass production = M kg / 500 years
Step 4: Simplify the equation.
Since we are asked to find the rate in terms of kg s^-1, we need to convert the time from years to seconds.
Rate of mass production = M kg / (500 years x 365 days/year x 24 hours/day x 3600 seconds/hour)
Step 5: Compare the result with the rate of deep-water formation.
The rate of deep-water formation in the North Atlantic is estimated to be about 2 x 10^10 kg s^-1 at present. Now that you have calculated the rate of freshwater mass production from the melting of the North American ice sheet, you can compare it with the rate of deep-water formation to determine which rate is higher or how they compare.
Please note that the exact mass of the North American ice sheet and the assumption of linear melting over 500 years are required to obtain an accurate estimate.