The idea of ​​​​creating a 100km long curtain to prevent glaciers from melting

Researchers are looking for ways to prevent warm ocean currents from approaching and collapsing glaciers at an increasingly rapid rate today.

If the Thwaites Glacier , also known as the "apocalyptic glacier" , were to collapse, cities such as New York, Miami, and New Orleans would suffer catastrophic flooding. Globally, 97 million people will be affected by fast-moving water, threatening their homes, communities and livelihoods. Currently, the giant ice sheet in Antarctica prevents warm ocean water from reaching other glaciers. In case Thwaites disappears, it will promote a mass melting phenomenon that could cause sea levels to rise by 3 meters , Business Insider reported on March 5.

Thwaites Glacier loses large volumes of ice each year. (Photo: NASA)

To date, the melting Thwaites glacier contributes 4% to global sea level rise. Since 2000, Thwaites has lost more than 1,000 billion tons of ice. But this is not the only glacier in trouble. That's why engineers are working to find technological innovations that can slow the rate at which glaciers melt. The newest solution is the underwater canopy. John Moore, a glaciologist and geotechnical researcher at the University of Lapland, wants to install a giant curtain 100 km long underwater to prevent warm ocean water from reaching and melting the glacier. But he needs $50 billion to turn his idea into reality.

One of the main reasons why glaciers melt is warm salty seawater deep in the ocean. This warm water moves around the flanks of Thwaites Glacier, melting the thick layer of ice that prevents the edge of the glacier from collapsing. As the ocean warms due to climate change, warm ocean currents increasingly erode Thwaites, pushing it closer to complete collapse. Moore and his colleagues are investigating whether they can drape curtains over the bottom of the Amundsen Sea to slow the rate of melting. In theory, the veil could block warm ocean currents reaching Thwaites, stopping melting and providing time for the ice sheet to thicken.

This is not the first time Moore has proposed the above prevention solution. His curtain idea is based on a similar solution he shared in 2018, which was to block the flow of warm water with a massive wall. But according to Moore, curtains are a much safer option. It is effective at blocking warm ocean currents, but is much easier to remove when needed. For example, if the curtain negatively affects the local environment, they can take it out and redesign it.

Although Moore and his colleagues still need decades before applying the technology to save Thwaites Glacier, they are testing a smaller prototype. Moore's colleagues at the University of Cambridge are in the early stages of designing and testing the prototype. They could advance to the next stage in the summer of 2025.

Now, researchers at Cambridge University are testing a nearly meter-long version of the technology in a tank. After proving it works, they will move on to testing it on the River Cam by installing it on the river bottom or towing it behind boats. Their idea is to gradually increase the size of the prototype until there is evidence that the technology is stable enough to be installed in the Arctic. If all goes according to plan, researchers could test the 10-meter-long canopy prototype in a Norwegian bay in about two years.

This year's experiments on the project will cost about $10,000. But to get to the point where Moore and his colleagues can confidently install the technology, they will need about $10 million. They will need another $50 billion to install curtains in the Amundsen Sea. Data shows that the Thwaites glacier is melting at an unprecedented rate due to climate change. But the issue of when it collapsed is still controversial among glaciologists. They need to collect better data but that takes time, and time may be running out for glaciers like Thwaites.