Strange measure to support the fight against climate change in the Arctic

Off the coast of Northern Canada, a group of scientists closely monitors the process of pumping seawater onto the surface of sea ice. Their goal is to slow down global warming.

What is sea ice?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sea ice is frozen water that forms and melts in the ocean. It is different from icebergs, glaciers, ice sheets and ice shelves that originate from land. Sea ice typically expands during the winter months and melts in the summer, but in certain regions, sea ice can persist year-round. About 15% of the world's oceans are covered with sea ice for part of the year.

Seawater pumps onto sea ice. (Photo: Real Ice).

Although sea ice exists mainly in the polar regions, it impacts global climate. Warmer temperatures cause sea ice to melt over time, causing the dark ocean surface to absorb more sunlight, causing ocean temperatures to increase. From here, a cycle of warming and melting occurs. Warmer water temperatures slow ice growth in the fall and winter, and the ice melts faster the following spring, exposing darker ocean waters for longer periods the following summer.

Changes in sea ice can disrupt ocean currents, thereby leading to global climate change. Even small increases in temperature could make the polar regions the most sensitive to climate change. So researchers want to thicken sea ice to prevent it from melting.

Ambitious plan

Many scientists have strongly objected, warning that the method of pumping water onto the surface of sea ice would distract from the important step of cutting carbon emissions. But a handful of advocates claim their approach could help the planet as humanity works to reduce carbon.

Dr. Shaun Fitzgerald, who participates in the sea ice thickening project at the Climate Resilience Center at the University of Cambridge (UK), said the ultimate goal of this Arctic experiment is to thicken the sea ice enough to make slow or even reverse the melting process. BBC (UK) said there were opinions that this plan was 'crazy'.

Dr Fitzgerald admitted: 'We really don't have enough data to determine whether this is a great idea or a bad idea' . The researchers braved harsh conditions in Cambridge Bay, a tiny Canadian village in the Arctic Circle, to conduct the experiment.

Mr. Andrea Ceccolini - employee of Real Ice company (UK) participating in the journey shared: 'It was quite cold. The temperature is about -30C, strong winds can pull the temperature down to -45C'.

They drilled a hole in the sea ice that naturally forms in winter and then pumped about 1,000 liters of seawater per minute onto its surface. Exposed to cold winter air, seawater quickly freezes, allowing the layer above the sea ice to thicken.

Mr Ceccolini explains: 'The idea is that the thicker the ice at the end of winter, the longer it will last into the melting season.'

They recorded several tens of centimeters of ice thickness over the small study area. Sea ice will be monitored by locals in the coming months.

But it's still too early to judge whether the scientists' approach will really make a difference to the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice. Mr. Martin Siegert at the University of Exeter (UK), who is not involved in the project, warned: 'The vast majority of polar scientists think this will never be successful.'

Seawater will freeze after being pumped onto the sea ice. (Photo: Real Ice).

The problem lies in the fact that ice with higher salt concentrations can melt faster in the summer . Then there is the huge logistical challenge of scaling up the project. It is estimated that about 10 million wind-powered pumps would be needed to thicken sea ice over an area equivalent to one-tenth of the Arctic.

Professor Julienne Stroeve at University College London, analyzed: 'In my view, it is crazy that this can be done on a large scale for the entire Arctic Ocean.'

Ms. Lili Fuhr, director of the Fossil Economy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law, explains: 'Geoengineering technology comes with many uncertainties and creates new risks for ecosystems as well as people. . The Arctic plays an important role in maintaining our planetary system. Pumping seawater onto the surface of sea ice on a large scale could change the chemistry of the ocean and threaten the fragile web of life.'

And there's a more fundamental, more common concern with these types of projects. Professor Siegert warns the real danger is that it causes distraction and many people will use it as an excuse to continue burning fossil fuels. He added: "Frankly, it's crazy and needs to be stopped. The way to solve this crisis is to decarbonize : that's our best and only path forward."

Researchers on Dr. Fitzgerald's team are well aware of these concerns. They emphasized that they are only testing the technology and will not apply it more widely until the risks are better understood. Dr Fitzgerald emphasized: 'We are not promoting this as the solution to climate change in the Arctic. We'd say it could be part of the solution, but we have to learn a lot more before society can decide whether it makes sense.'

They also agree that geoengineering is not the only way to address climate change and that drastic cuts in fossil fuels and carbon emissions are important to avoid its dire consequences. The Earth is warming. But they point out that even with swift action, the world still faces a difficult future. By 2050, the Arctic Ocean will likely be effectively free of sea ice by late summer and possibly even earlier. It has experienced a sharp decline in sea ice since the 1980s.

'We need other solutions ,' argues researcher Jacob Pantling at the Center for Climate Resilience . Emissions need to be reduced, but even if we do it as soon as possible, the Arctic will still melt.'