Refreezing the Arctic

Human-caused warming of the air, oceans and land is heating the Arctic region faster than anywhere else on the planet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently reported the warmest surface air temperature ever observed in the Arctic during the region’s sixth-warmest year on record. Scientists agree that the loss of Arctic ice will increase the rate of warming for the rest of the planet.

To combat the issue, geoengineers are experimenting with ways to slow the melt in conjunction with efforts to reduce carbon output and recapture carbon already found in the atmosphere. One experiment by Arctic Reflections, a Dutch company, involves pumping water onto the surface of existing ice sheets to form a protective layer of new ice. The inspiration for their experiment comes from a method the Dutch have used for decades to make ice for skating marathons. Another experiment uses reflective glass beads scattered on top of snow and ice to reflect the sun’s rays. In early testing, the beads reflected 30 percent more sunlight than the snow alone.