"The various speculative notions that have been floated, mainly via public relations efforts, include things such as spreading reflective particles over newly formed sea ice to promote its persistence and growth; building giant ocean-bottom sea walls or curtains to deflect warmer streams of water away from ice shelves; pumping water from the base of glaciers to the surface to refreeze it, and even intentionally polluting the upper atmosphere with sulfur-based or other reflective particles to dim sunlight."
"Research shows the particle-based sunlight-dimming concept could shift rainfall patterns like seasonal monsoons critical for agriculture in some areas, and also intensify regional heat, precipitation, and drought extremes. And the authors of the new paper wrote that some of the mechanical interventions to preserve ice would likely disrupt regional ocean ecosystems, including the marine food chain, from tiny krill to giant whales."
Multiple proposed engineering concepts for protecting polar ice caps are unlikely to work and could produce dangerous unintended consequences. Proposals include spreading reflective particles on newly formed sea ice, installing giant ocean-bottom walls or curtains to deflect warm currents, pumping water from glacier bases to refreeze surfaces, and injecting sulfur or other reflective particles into the upper atmosphere to dim sunlight. Sunlight-dimming could shift monsoon and other rainfall patterns and intensify regional heat, precipitation, and drought extremes. Mechanical measures risk disrupting ocean ecosystems and food chains, addressing symptoms rather than root causes.
Read at Ars Technica
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