Scientists propose artificial wall to stop the collapse of Antarctic glaciers

Melting glaciers in Antarctica accelerates in response to climate change. As the climate warms, glaciers melt faster and have a dramatic impact on rising sea levels. A recent proposal aims to prevent these potentially devastating consequences by building massive submarine walls. The idea is to build huge walls in the bottom of the ocean, under massive glaciers, where hot water flows in the lower part of the glacier and increases the loss of ice. The artificial structure will prevent glaciers from melting further.

Some glaciers, like Thwaites, shrink too quickly. This glacier alone contributes about 1% of the global sea level rise. As it continues to melt at a rising rate, the sea level will increase by several feet, which will suffice to cause significant problems for coastal cities and the global environment.

"Thwaites could easily cause a collapse of the ice sheet that would raise sea level by about 3 meters," said lead author Michael Wolovick, a researcher at Princeton University.

Glaciers are affected by both hot air and water. The warmer water melts the glaciers from below while the warm air wreaks havoc on these features from above, fueling their faster and faster retreat. Computer models reveal that the Thwaites Glacier will be the largest single source of sea level rise it is not controlled. The models further suggest that a 100-meter-high submarine wall could hold back melting glaciers, which would slow the collapse of the ice sheets and limit sea-level rise.

Even a simpler design could prevent this Antarctic glacier, which is about the size of Florida, from sliding into the sea and lifting the world's oceans by several meters. The design would consist of building mounds or artificial columns on the seabed. Although this simpler design can not block the warm waters reaching the bottom of the glaciers, it could support and hold the glacier and help it grow back.

Glacial geoengineering is trying to slow down or even reverse rising temperatures on Earth, but researchers believe that reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains critical to halting climate change and its adverse effects.

"We show that it is possible to stabilize glacier beds by providing additional anchor points that they can use to support themselves," said co-author John Moore. "At first I was very skeptical, but much better researched and studied."