Why doesn't the sea freeze or the ice melt?

Answer 1

Moving water distributes heat energy among more molecules, and the loss of heat from the water's surface must be to a cooling medium below 32°F /0° C. Underground rock is usually not that cold. Ground water may also be heated by geothermal sources.

Answer 2

In fact, the ocean does freeze; on the poles in the arctic circles. When it is liquid, its simply too warm for the saltwater to freeze.Also, the water-currents and movement of the water will complicate any attempts to freeze. Also, the ocean will not freeze all the way through, and neither will any body of water with substantial depth, because ice floats. With the ice acting as an insulator, the water below doesn't freeze. If it did, aquatic organisms would all die because the ice would encapsulate them.

Answer 3

But the ocean does freeze! Much of the North Pole and areas North of the Arctic Circle freeze over. It is one of the reasons the Northwest Passage is not a good trade route.

There are two reasons for why the sea doesn't freeze as quickly as ponds or fresh water. . First of all, the salt in sea water lowers its freezing point. Also, the latent heat of fusion of water (that is, the heat energy that must be extracted for it to turn into ice) is very high, so it would have to be extremely cold for a very long time for the sea to freeze. A large block of ice takes a long time to melt for the same reason - a lot of heat energy is required to melt it.

Little ice cubes in your freezer are relatively tiny compared to the sea, so it is hard to imagine the vast amount energy you would need.

Answer 4

The ocean waters freeze at -2...-3 0C.

Answer 5

its saltwater