A hundred-kilometer curtain: scientists have told how they plan to stop the melting of glaciers
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Scientists from the United States suggest that a curtain 100 kilometers long can save the Antarctic glaciers. They believe that the structure will protect them from being washed away by warm sea water.
Scientists are worried, because now the ice is melting at a record speed, so it is necessary to act immediately to slow down the process, writes The Guardian.
The researchers proposed a solution to the problem – the “Seabed Curtain” project. It involves the construction of a hundred-kilometer curtain that will be moored to the bottom of the Amundsen Sea. It will rise about 200 meters from the bottom of the ocean and will partially limit the flow of relatively warm water that rushes to the bases of coastal Antarctic glaciers.
“Melting glaciers in Antarctica could cause catastrophic flooding across the planet and lead to hundreds of millions of people losing their homes. This would be incredibly bad for civilization, so we have to do something.”– said glaciologist John Moore from the University of Lapland.
| Photo: olhovyi_photographer/Depositphotos |
This curtain will extend along the sea floor opposite the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers. They prevent giant ice sheets behind them from sliding into the ocean.
Scientists note that there is a threat of melting of these two glaciers. And this is quite real, as global warming is sweeping this region and causing sea water temperatures to rise. If they melt, it could lead to a rise in the level of the world’s oceans by three meters.
“Glaciers are affected by warm air that melts their surface, but they are also subject to destruction under the influence of warm sea water.
And the more the oceans warm as the planet warms due to climate change, the more intensively the ice at the base of these glaciers is destroyed.” – said Sean Fitzgerald, Director of the Center for Climate Recovery at the University of Cambridge.
Creating a curtain that limits the flow of warm water to the Antarctic coast could slow down the destruction of these glaciers and thus reduce the risk of their disappearance, scientists said.
In addition, they plan to investigate which materials are best suited for the construction of “sea curtains”.
“We’re not going to build this out of a single layer of material, and we’re not looking for a perfectly sealed membrane.”– added Fitzgerald.
One idea is to use the air as a barrier to protect the glaciers. It would be possible to lay a pipe with holes along the seabed and pump air through it. The bubbles that will rise from it will be able to restrain the flow of warm sea water.
The project still needs a lot of research and testing. And its implementation may take years. On the other hand, it is necessary to act now, the scientists emphasized.
We will remind you that the ice in Antarctica is melting unexpectedly fast.
Vira Shurmakevych, UP. Life
Read also: “Green” summer has arrived in the Antarctic: a selection of amazing photos from polar explorers
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