Log in to submit feedback for this text Feedback pencil

Increasing humidity around glaciers and ice sheets

Glacier mouth, Svalbard

Glaciers cover around 59% of Svalbard, which is made up of four islands, Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet, Edgerøya and Barentsrøya. Many of the glaciers in this area are known to surge, meaning that for 100 years they can remain still and silent, only to suddenly and violently move, advancing from the upper area of the glacier towards the mouth.

Year: 2015


Photographer: Peter Prokosch

References

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

0

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

Scalability

Low 1

This would likely only be effective near the coast.

Scalability

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

Timeliness for near-future effects

Low 1

0

Timeliness for near-future effects

Implemented too late to make a significant difference

Northern + Arctic potential

Low 1

0

Northern + Arctic potential

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

Global potential

Low 1

0

Global potential

Insignificant to be detected at a global scale

Cost - benefit

Unknown 0

0

Environmental risks

Low 3

0

Environmental risks

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

Community impacts

Neutral 2

0

Community impacts

Unnoticeable or negligible positive or negative effects

Ease of reversibility

Easy 3

0

Ease of reversibility

Easily reversible naturally

Risk of termination shock

Low 3

0

Risk of termination shock

Low or insignificant termination shock or damage

Legality/governance

High 3

0

Legality/governance

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

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.

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