The ice that melts in Antarctica and in Greenland as a result of global warming will redistribute into the oceans of the world.  This will involve redistribution of many gigatonnes of mass from the polar regions (close to the earth's axis) to the average latitude of the earth's oceans (further from the earth's axis). This means that to conserve angular momentum the earth should reduce its spin rate.  Has this occurred and if so what is the magnitude of the effect; A - Now - and B - when all the polar ice has melted?

As the polar ice caps melt the sea levels are predicted to rise. My question is why? When you place an ice cube in a glass of water the water level rises, but if the ice cube is already there and then it melts the water level does not rise, due to the initial displacement of the water by the ice. Surely the same principle must be true of the ice caps. Why, therefore, are melting polar ice caps leading to a rise in sea levels?

Please excuse my lack of jargon know-how, but the stuff coming out of the bottom of rocket ships looks very hot! Why doesn't this melt or burn the structures erected around it?

Please see: http://imgur.com/zzbEN.jpg

I noticed this frost pattern on a manhole cover in Bern, Switzerland. It was in the middle of the city's Bear Pit enclosure. What could have caused this?

It if it is the 'easy' answer (something star shaped was covering the area), what could it be?

Thanks

p.s. I remember years ago a question similar to this asked on the last word. It was about a spotty melting pattern on paving slabs caused by (it emerged) a technique of adhering the paving slabs using dollops of mortar in each corner of the slab to minimise waste. (Anyone have a link?; I cant find it)

Recently during a cold snap (-10°c) we were walking in the snowy woods in the Heidelberg, Germany hills and found about 20 worm like patterns melted in the snow. Some were several meters long and the melted paths never crossed. How or by what were they made?

You can get an idea of the size by my clomping size 13 boot in the picture.

Ian