Scientists prep bold experiments to fight Arctic phenomenon with global implications: 'Dramatic changes'
In a recent article for The Conversation, Shaun Fitzgerald, Director of the Centre for Climate Repair at the University of Cambridge, divulged takeaways from his recent trip to Cambridge Bay in Northern Canada. He visited the region with two projects, Real Ice and Arctic Reflections, both of which aim to slow down the loss of sea ice through experimental strategies.
"The dramatic changes in the Arctic warrant investigation into interventions that could have an impact sooner than cutting emissions or removing greenhouse gases," Fitzgerald explained.
Sea ice plays a crucial role in temperature regulation globally. With changing temperatures, this delicate balance between warming and cooling of the Arctic has been thrown off balance, causing sea ice to melt more rapidly than it can refreeze in the colder months.
Arctic Reflections notes that rising global temperatures have "reduced the Arctic sea ice volume already by 75% over the last 40 years."
The ramifications of melting Arctic ice impact more than just the local communities in the far north — this phenomenon has global implications. More melted sea ice means more water in the ocean, which means higher tides during extreme weather events, disrupting food systems with habitat loss for certain animals, and even prompting an increase in the spread of disease.
A study published this year even asserted that Arctic sea ice melting is contributing to changing weather patterns in other parts of the world.
The team Fitzgerald worked with in Cambridge Bay has three bold concepts to combat the rapid deterioration of the polar ice caps.
The first promotes ice growth by pouring seawater onto the surface of sea ice. The second uses snow as an insulator and floods it to create a solid ice sheet that promotes more freezing underneath. The third addresses melt ponds that form in the summer by drilling into them to drain them, leaving reflective ice at the surface to protect the sea ice below.
These experiments are educated hypotheses by the team based on mathematical modelling, lab experiments, and smaller field experiments.
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"The goal is to gather essential real-world data to rigorously assess if this intervention warrants further consideration," Fitzgerald explained.
While initial results have been inconclusive, the field experiments have been encouraging. But Fitzgerald concluded that big swings like these experiments are an important step toward the ultimate goal of preserving the global climate.
"With slow progress [in combatting global temperature increases] over the past few decades, additional measures may buy us time," he asserted.
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