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If every people jumped into the ocean at once, how much would the sea level rise?

If every person on Earth were to jump into the ocean at once, the sea level would rise only about 1.3 micrometers
If every person on Earth were to jump into the ocean at once, the sea level would rise only about 1.3 micrometers. For comparison, a human hair ranges in thickness from 17 to 181 micrometers. Image source: Deposit Photos

If every people on Earth were to jump into the ocean at once, the sea level would not rise significantly. The total volume of water added to the oceans by all the people on Earth jumping into them would be relatively small compared to the total volume of the oceans, which is about 1.35 billion cubic kilometers (about 320 million cubic miles).

To give you a sense of perspective, the total volume of all the people on Earth is estimated to be about only 0.50 cubic kilometers. That means that even if all the people on Earth were to jump into the ocean at once, the sea level would only rise by about 0.000000037%.

How did we calculated the volume of all people on Earth?

The average human has a mass of about 62 kg, or 62,000 grams. That means the average volume of a human is 62,000 cubic centimeters. To get the total volume of the human race, just multiply that by 8 billion (the world’s population by the end of 2022): 496 trillion cubic centimeters. It’s equal to 496 million cubic meters or 0.496 cubic kilometers.

Yes, you can “put” all the people on Earth in a cube with a side of just 791 meters (2,595 feet). It’s the cubic root of 496 million. Volume is a seriously underrated phenomenon – our minds routinely underestimate how much stuff three-dimensional objects contain.

So, based on the calculations above, the volume of water displaced by all the humans would be just 496 million m3. Divide this number by the surface area of the Earth’s oceans, which is about 361 million square kilometers, or 361 trillion m2, which gives us a rise of just about 0.00000137396 meters, or 1.3 micrometer. For comparison, a human hair ranges in thickness from 17 to 181 micrometers.

So, if every people jumped into the ocean at once, the sea level would rise only 1.3 micrometers (about 1 millionth of a meter or about 0.00005 inches), or, practically, it would not rise at all.

If every people jumped into the ocean at once, the sea level would rise only about 1.3 micrometers
If every person on Earth were to jump into the ocean at once, the sea level would rise only about 1.3 micrometers (about 0.00005 inches). For comparison, a human hair ranges in thickness from 17 to 181 micrometers. Image source: Deposit Photos
M. Özgür Nevres
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Özgür Nevres

By M. Özgür Nevres

I am a software developer and a science enthusiast. I was graduated from the Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Computer Engineering. In the past, I worked at the Istanbul Technical University Science Center as a science instructor. I write about the planet Earth and science on this website, ourplnt.com. I am also an animal lover! I take care of stray cats & dogs. This website's all income goes directly to our furry friends. Please consider supporting me on Patreon, so I can help more animals!

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