Covering artificial snow can help prevent the risk of ice erosion

Preventing the risk of ice sheets in the West Antarctic sliding into the ocean and submerging coastal cities by covering.

This is the suggestion of scientists in the study published July 17 in the Science Advances magazine.

Collins glacier in Antarctica.(Photo: AFP / VNA).

The research team used computer models to calculate that the West Antarctic ice sheet could achieve stability when at least 7,400 billion tons of artificial snow is covered around Pine Island and the Thwaites glacier. in 10 years.

Researchers use 12,000 wind turbines to pump seawater up to 1,500 meters of high ice, where seawater will freeze into "snow" in the hope of heavy snow can hit this giant ice sheet. down to a depth sufficient to prevent further ice band collapse.

Professor Anders Levermann from Potsdam Institute specializing in German climate impact research, co-author of the study, warned that sea level rise from the West Antarctic could submerge the cities of Hamburg (Germany) and New York (USA), Shanghai and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China).

In line with many other climate scientists, Mr. Levermann said that the most urgent priority now is to quickly cut the carbon footprint needed to meet the goals of the Paris agreement on climate change, according to That limits the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times.

According to Professor Levermann, the thawing of Greenland (Denmark), the Arctic and glaciers around the world will make the situation worse. He warned that the sea level could rise by at least 5 meters even if countries tried to enforce the Paris agreement.