Could a £400bn plan to refreeze the Arctic before the ice melts really work? • Hacker News Board

Re: Could a £400bn plan to refreeze the Arctic before the ice melts really work?

#11

Post by oppositelock » Wed, Feb 15, 2017, 7:15 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #9

nonbel wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just now I did, it says the new plan is: "building 10 million wind-powered pumps over the Arctic ice cap. In winter, these would be used to pump water to the surface of the ice where it would freeze, thickening the cap."

Wouldn't that be salt water? Would it actually freeze at all?

It freezes just fine, just at a lower temperature of -2C.

Re: Could a £400bn plan to refreeze the Arctic before the ice melts really work?

#12

Post by fuzzythinker » Wed, Feb 15, 2017, 7:36 PM UTC

nurettin wrote: post #4

This sounds like that futurama episode where they drop a giant ice cube into the sea whenever it gets too hot. https://www.outerplaces.com/science/item/13083-how-big-would...

Because Science's explanation of why it won't work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk9bKysYWLI

Re: Could a £400bn plan to refreeze the Arctic before the ice melts really work?

#13

Post by JoeAltmaier » Wed, Feb 15, 2017, 10:45 PM UTC

oppositelock wrote: post #11

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't that be salt water? Would it actually freeze at all?

It freezes just fine, just at a lower temperature of -2C.

I wonder why the polar oceans don't freeze solid?

Re: Could a £400bn plan to refreeze the Arctic before the ice melts really work?

#14

Post by mustntmumble » Thu, Feb 16, 2017, 1:38 AM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #13

oppositelock wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It freezes just fine, just at a lower temperature of -2C.

I wonder why the polar oceans don't freeze solid?

Because ice floats to the top of the water, and insulates the water remaining down below beneath the ice.

Re: Could a £400bn plan to refreeze the Arctic before the ice melts really work?

#15

Post by dTal » Thu, Feb 16, 2017, 5:25 PM UTC

If the political will to do something like that existed, we wouldn't need to do it.

Re: Could a £400bn plan to refreeze the Arctic before the ice melts really work?

#16

Post by Steel_Phoenix » Thu, Feb 16, 2017, 5:35 PM UTC

oppositelock wrote: post #11

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't that be salt water? Would it actually freeze at all?

It freezes just fine, just at a lower temperature of -2C.

A proposal to salt the Arctic in order to lower the melting temperature wouldn't get much support, but it seems like it's also a valid description of the plan.