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Scientists have proposed a radical plan to stop the rapid melting of a massive Antarctic glacier. Otherwise, it could cause catastrophic flooding along the US East Coast, inundating coastal cities such as New York, Charleston, Atlantic City and Miami.
To avoid this, the researchers suggested installing a giant underwater curtain, artificially thickening the glaciers with seawater, or cooling the rock they slide on. These actions will reduce the ingress of warm waters on the Thwaites Glacier, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier", informs UAINFO.org with reference to MailOnline.
The idea to stop the influence of warm currents on the glacier by erecting a giant underwater "curtain" in front of it was developed and proposed by glaciologist John Moore of the University of Lapland. The curtain will stretch 100 kilometers in length and may cost up to 50 billion dollars to build. It can be anchored to the bottom of the Amundsen Sea, blocking warm underwater currents from reaching the bottom of the Thwaites Glacier. This will require engineering and construction work, not to mention significant financial investments. It also comes with risks – blocking heat from sub-ice cavities could affect the entire coast of the Amundsen Sea.
"For example, if the circulation of warm circumpolar deep water shifts westward, this could affect other ice shelves, potentially reducing their stability while altering the local ecology in unspecified ways," the report said.
But Moore continues his plan. Together with his colleagues, he works on computer simulations to get the right design.
Other experts believe they can reduce the melting of glaciers by cooling the bedrock over which glaciers slowly slide.
"Our argument is that we need to start funding this research now so that we don't make panic decisions in the future when the water is already up to our ankles," says Douglas McAil, a professor of geophysical sciences.
Another proposal in the new report involves pumping seawater onto the surface of the "doomsday glacier", where cold air temperatures would cause it to freeze in place and thus make the glacier thicker. But the authors of the study warn that this idea is associated with risks and costs. The salinity of seawater can damage the structural integrity of the ice, and the energy required to pump large volumes of seawater creates unsolved problems.
A British startup called Real Ice has been working on this solution since 2019. A field trial earlier this year in Canada showed promising results, but its large-scale implementation would cost an estimated $6 billion a year and require a huge amount of energy.
These and other interventions discussed by scientists are examples of geoengineering solutions. They are deliberately altering the planetary environment to counteract the effects of human-induced climate change. Some experts have called the ideas "radical," arguing that geoengineering would be difficult or impossible to achieve and distract from the more necessary conversation about climate change.
"When we talk about glacial geoengineering, we need to tell the truth, which is that it's not a solution to climate change -- at best it's a pain reliever," explains Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at the Columbia Climate School.
The Doomsday Glacier covers 120 square kilometers and loses about 000 billion tons of ice each year, accounting for about four percent of global sea level rise. It also acts as a natural dam to prevent the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), which covers 50 square kilometers.
