Dutch Scientists Thought It Was a Good Idea to Use Water to Slow the Melting of Ice in the Arctic. It’s Working

The Dutch are unique. They have a tradition of enjoying croquette sandwiches, riding bicycles, and eagerly waiting for the canals to freeze over. When the canals freeze, they take out their skates and start skating, racing, and traveling from one city to another.

This tradition dates back to the 16th century, as depicted in paintings like Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s The Hunters in the Snow. The first natural ice “marathon” took place in March 1888, and clubs have long competed to organize the first skating event of the season.

However, natural ice is becoming increasingly rare, prompting experts known as ijsmeesters to develop techniques for thickening the ice on canals, lakes, and meadows. Their expertise led researchers in 2016 to question why similar techniques weren’t being used in the Arctic.

In the Arctic? For years, scientists have been concerned about the melting ice due to climate change. However, the thickness of the ice reduces the likelihood of complete melting in summer. Could a system similar to the one used by the ijsmeesters be used in the Arctic to address this? Could experts restore the ice by pumping seawater over it in winter?

An initiative called Arctic Reflection aims to do precisely that and restore nearly 40,000 square miles of ice, which is slightly more than the average annual ice loss over the past decades.

The project is already underway. In April 2024, the Arctic Reflection team and researchers from Delft University in the Netherlands and the University Center in Svalbard in Norway conducted the first field test on the far northern Norwegian islands.

They recently published an initial analysis of the project, which looks very promising.

What happened? Researchers found that pumping for an average of only 4 hours at different locations thickened the ice by 10 inches in total, extending its lifespan by six days in summer.

Although the area treated wasn’t very large (they managed to cover just under 2.5 acres using three guns), and the ice held less than expected, the results are very promising and serve as a proof of concept.

Larger implications. Scientists deny that their research constitutes “climate engineering,” a series of techniques that proponents say will help mitigate climate change. However, the widespread implementation of these restorative interventions could directly impact the planet’s climate.

Nonetheless, addressing the world’s climate is a sensitive matter, not only due to governance issues but also because it’s a very complex process.

Image | Hector John Periquin

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