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Pitch

Tow Icebergs to recent open water in Arctic Ocean. The iceberg when it thaws will disperse fresh water that will refreeze as psuedosea ice.


Description

Summary

Fresh water is unlike most substances because it becomes less dense as it nears the freezing point. Very cold, low-density fresh water stays at the surface, forming an ice layer on the top. In contrast to fresh water, the salt in ocean water causes the density of the water to increase as it nears the freezing point, and very cold ocean water tends to sink. As a result, sea ice forms slowly, compared to freshwater ice, because salt water sinks away from the cold surface before it cools enough to freeze. Furthermore, other factors cause the formation of sea ice to be a slow process. The freezing temperature of salt water is lower than fresh water; ocean temperatures must reach -1.8 degrees Celsius (28.8 degrees Fahrenheit) to freeze. Because oceans are so deep, it takes longer to reach the freezing point, and generally, the top 100 to 150 meters (300 to 450 feet) of water must be cooled to the freezing temperature for {sea} ice to form.

Diemand stated in 1984 that "There is considerable evidence suggesting that this core temperature may be in the range of -15° to -20°C for icebergs in the North Atlantic".

Because of the need to defend offshore drilling and production platforms from icebergs, the viability of explosive techniques has been readdressed more recently. It was found that very cold ice, such as the type found in the lower part of an iceberg, can be fragmented successfully by the use of slow-burning explosives such as Thermit. Thermit can be implanted by drilling; however, implantation is a dangerous process because of the possibility of capsize. Current protocols call for the location and tracking of threatening icebergs. Iceberg trajectories are then predicted by increasingly sophisticated computer models. If necessary, icebergs are captured and towed out of the way of their targets.

For this concept to work the refreezing of fresh water must occurred before it salinity increases and decreasing freezing temperature

Freezing Temperature vs Salinity


Category of the action

Geoengineering


What actions do you propose?

Where possible and practical move icebergs north into recent open waters to create a sea ice and iceberg melange


Who will take these actions?

International Ice Patrol

Scientists and engineers at Memorial University's Center for Cold Ocean Resources Engineering spend their days fine-tuning iceberg tracking and towing techniques -- experimenting with different rope, studying wind currents, adjusting sonar, even testing to see whether icebergs might be captured and towed in nets.


Where will these actions be taken?


What are other key benefits?

Less icebergs drifting into trans-Atlantic shipping lanes. 

Reduce concerns about effects of thawing icebergs impacting ocean structure. Also, buffeting sea level rise.

Improve polar bears survivibility

 


What are the proposal’s costs?


Time line


Related proposals


References

Baglole, J; 2002; Iceberg Cowboys Protect Oil Rigs From Titanic's Fate;

Lateral Office; ICEBERG RIGGINGS 2010; Retrieved fromhttp://lateraloffice.com/ICEBERG-RIGGINGS-2010

NSIDC; All About Sea Ice; Retrieved on 20181013 fromhttps://nsidc.org/cryosphere/seaice/index.html

Wadhams, Peter; Iceberg detection, tracking, and management; Retrieved on 20181013 fromhttps://www.britannica.com/science/iceberg/Iceberg-detection-tracking-and-management

Wiese, M., et al; On the thermodynamics of melting sea ice versus melting freshwater ice; Annals of Glaciology 56(69) 2015 doi: 10.3189/2015AoG69A874