<
https://theconversation.com/why-artificial-submarine-curtains-wont-save-west-antarcticas-retreating-glaciers-225998>
"Some researchers have recently proposed the construction of artificial
structures – submarine curtains or walls – to stop the warming ocean from
getting to the most rapidly melting glaciers in West Antarctica.
If effective, these interventions could save trillions of dollars in avoided
coastal impacts.
But such a large-scale operation in one of the most inaccessible places on
Earth is estimated to cost US$50 billion–100 billion to build and another US$1
billion a year to maintain. It could also have negative impacts on the rest of
the ice sheet and marine life in the Southern Ocean.
Our new study weighs up whether these kinds of experiments are worthwhile.
We explore the conditions required to stop runaway glacial retreat in the
Amundsen Sea Embayment, the sector of West Antarctica currently losing most
ice. We find that blocking warm water from the embayment may not be enough to
prevent ongoing sea-level rise from the region."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
