Geophysicists put forward radical solutions as Doomsday Glacier that could flood New York and Miami is melting fast

Scientists have proposed a radical plan to stop the rapid melting of a massive Antarctic glacier. Otherwise, it could cause catastrophic flooding along the east coast of the United States, inundating coastal cities such as New York, Charleston, Atlantic City, and Miami.

To avoid this, researchers have proposed installing a giant underwater curtain, artificially thickening glaciers with seawater, or cooling the rock they slide on. These actions would mitigate the warm water from reaching the Thwaites Glacier, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier," MailOnline writes.

The idea to stop the influence of warm currents on the glacier by erecting a giant underwater "curtain" in front of it was developed and proposed by glaciologist John Moore from the University of Lapland. The curtain would stretch 100 kilometers in length and could cost up to $50 billion to build. It can be fixed on the bottom of the Amundsen Sea, blocking warm underwater currents from reaching the lower part of the Thwaites Glacier. This would require engineering and construction work, not to mention significant financial investment. It also involves risks - blocking heat from sub-ice cavities could affect the entire coast of the Amundsen Sea.

"For example, if the circulation of warm circumpolar deep water shifts west, it could affect other ice shelves, potentially reducing their stability, while changing local ecology in uncertain ways," the report says.

But Moore is continuing with his plan. He and his colleagues are working on computer modeling to get the design right.

Other experts believe they can reduce glacial melt by cooling the rocky base over which glaciers slide slowly.

"Our argument is that we should start funding this research now, so that we aren't making panicked decisions down the road when the water is already lapping at our ankles," says Douglas MacAyeal, a professor of geophysical sciences.

Another proposal in the new report involves pumping seawater to the surface of the glacier where low air temperatures would cause it to freeze in place and thus make the glacier thicker. But the authors of the study warn that this idea is fraught with risks and costs. The salinity of seawater can damage the structural integrity of the ice, and the energy required to pump large volumes of seawater creates unsolved problems.

A British startup called Real Ice has been working on this solution since 2019. Field trials conducted earlier this year in Canada showed promising results, but its large-scale implementation would cost approximately $6 billion a year and require huge energy costs.

This and other interventions discussed by scientists are examples of geoengineering solutions. They intentionally alter the planetary environment to counteract the effects of human-caused climate change. Some experts have labeled these ideas "radical," arguing that geoengineering will be difficult or impossible to achieve and will distract attention from the more necessary conversation about climate change.

"When we talk about glacial geoengineering, we need to tell the truth, which is that it's not a solution to climate change - at best, it's a painkiller," explains Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at the Columbia Climate School.

The Doomsday Glacier covers 120,000 square kilometers and loses about 50 billion tons of ice every year, accounting for about four percent of global sea level rise. It also acts as a natural dam that prevents the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), which covers 1,223,100 square kilometers.

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