Increasing humidity around glaciers and ice sheets

Ice sheets and glaciers

Engineer Paul Klinkman has suggested increasing the water content around glaciers and ice sheets to increase precipitation over them (see Klinkman Solar Design, U2).

Although it is unsure how this would work exactly, Klinkman suggested constructing ‘fog-creating ponds’ that would increase the moisture content of the air. Klinkman has also suggested increasing moisture content by using a ‘water vapour chimney’ (See Klinkman Solar Design H14). Alternatively the increased warmth associated with open water will increase ablation and calving rates in Greenland. This has been proposed as a likely mechanism for variations in terminus position. Historical mass loss is correlated with heat flow from surrounding seas (Yue et al. 2021; Moore et al. 2019)

Technological Readiness Level (TRL)

Low 1

Technological Readiness Level (TRL)

A technology with a TRL of 1-3: TRL 1 – Basic; TRL 2 – Concept formulated; TRL 3 – Experimental proof of concept

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Scalability

Low 1

This would likely only be effective near the coast.

Scalability

Physically unable to scale; sub-linear/logarithmic efficiency of scalability

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Timeliness for near-future effects

Low 1

Timeliness for near-future effects

Implemented too late to make a significant difference

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Northern + Arctic potential

Low 1

Northern + Arctic potential

No noticeable extra positive effect beyond the global average; technology is unsuited to the Arctic

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Global potential

Low 1

Global potential

Insignificant to be detected at a global scale

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Cost - benefit

Unknown 0

Environmental risks

Low risk 3

Environmental risks

Very limited, site-specific effects restricted to the solution deployment location only

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Community impacts

Neutral 2

Community impacts

Unnoticeable or negligible positive or negative effects

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Ease of reversibility

Easy 3

Ease of reversibility

Easily reversible naturally

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Risk of termination shock

Low risk 3

Risk of termination shock

Low or insignificant termination shock or damage

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Legality/governance

Possible 3

Legality/governance

Currently legal to deploy, with governance structures in place to facilitate it and/or financial incentives to develop it

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Scientific/media attention

Low 1

Although the idea surfaced several times in the Geoengineering Google Group, it seems to not have been picked up.

Scientific/media attention

Very low attention from individuals and/or abandoned ideas; low media attention; no commercial interest.

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References

Klinkman Solar Designs. n.d. U2. Fog and nearby mountains. https://klinkmansolar.com/knightfog.htm#U2 [Accessed 8 July 2024]

Klinkman Solar Designs. n.d. H14. Water vapor can deliver extra updraft power. https://klinkmansolar.com/kchimney.htm#H14 [Accessed 8 July 2024]

Moore, J.C., Yue, C., Zhao, L., Guo, X., Watanabe, S., Ji, D. 2019 Greenland ice sheet response to stratospheric aerosol injection geoengineering. Earth's Future, 7 https://doi.org/10.1029

Yue, C, L. Steffensen Schmidt, L. Zhao, M. Wolovick, J.C. Moore 2021 Vatnajökull mass loss under solar geoengineering due to the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation Earth’s Future 9. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002052

Related ideas

A school of juveniles of the Dusky spinefoot Siganus luridus (second)

Oceans & marine

Artificial upwelling

Artificial upwelling (AU) is an idea to increase carbon uptake of upper ocean layers by fertilizing it with pumped-up colder nutrient-rich waters from the deep, which would encourage the biological sequestration of carbon through photosynthesis (NASEM 2022).

Blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) as part of the vegetation 5 years after forest fire, Mykland, Aust Agder, Norway

Land-based measures

Rewilding

Natural climate solutions like conservation or restoration can significantly contribute to climate change mitigation efforts (Griscom et al. 2017). One such category of natural climate solutions is re-wilding.

Permafrost patterns of tundra soil, Northeast Greenland National Park

Land-based measures

Stabilizing permafrost by covering it

There have been several isolated suggestions to mitigate permafrost thaw or influence the thaw processes in the active layer by physically covering the surface with materials (see for example https://groups.google.com/g/geoengineering/c/u2b9Xb5B0C8/m/aXQia-nNDbcJ) in a similar way to how glaciers might be preserved (see Glacier Insulation, and Passive Radiative Cooling). Although different materials have been suggested, these have not been worked out further, and are likely to be a very costly, and impractical solution.

Sea ice & icebergs

Iceberg management

With rising Arctic temperatures, there have been major changes in iceberg production rates from marine terminating glaciers. These icebergs drift into warmer sea waters where they will slowly melt.

Fishing boat in between icebergs, Disco Bay, Greenland

Oceans & marine

Improved fishing practices and management

Fisheries contribute to global CO2 emissions by the extraction of fish, disturbance of coastal and oceanic blue carbon ecosystems, and the use of fossil fuels as their main energy source. Fishing vessels are moreover a major source of short-lived climate forcers like black carbon (McKuin and Campbell 2016), which can have a major effect in Arctic and Northern regions (see Black carbon reduction).

Ice sheets and glaciers

Ice sheet stabilization by draining water or bed freezing

It has been suggested that ice sheets could be stabilized by reducing the lubrication effect of water below the ice sheet.

Ice sheets and glaciers

Increasing humidity around glaciers and ice sheets

Engineer Paul Klinkman has suggested increasing the water content around glaciers and ice sheets to increase precipitation over them (see Klinkman Solar Design, U2).

Agriculture landscape with small villages and forests in Baden Würtemberg, Germany

Industry

Bio-geoengineering to increase crop albedo

Surface albedo has a significant impact on global climate (Zhang et al. 2022). Plants play an important role in this. Matthews et al. (2003), for example, estimate that the spread of agriculture has led to a global cooling of around 0.17°C, as agricultural crops tend to have a higher albedo than wild vegetation (Monteith and Unsworth 1990).