We study glaciers. 'Artificial glaciers' and other tech may halt their total collapse
Sea levels are rising faster than ever, and the consequences are dire. For every foot of water that rises, 100 million people lose their homes. At current projections, that means about 300 million people will be forced to migrate inland in the coming decades, leading to social and political upheaval. Despite this crisis, we still lack accurate predictions of sea-level rise and have invested little in understanding how to slow it down.
While it's crucial to focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we must also take action to predict and manage the future of the world's ice. A growing group of scientists is taking a new approach, treating ice as a system we can understand, anticipate, and protect.
The challenge is immense. Ocean-bound glaciers, driven by warm ocean currents melting their undersides, are the main culprits behind rising sea levels. This process will continue even as we reduce emissions, causing glaciers to collapse and accelerate sea-level rise. The most alarming example is the Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica, known as the 'doomsday glacier.' If it collapses, the West Antarctic ice sheet will follow, raising global sea levels by over 6 feet and displacing more than half a billion people in our children's lifetimes.
But we're not powerless. This is the perfect time to tackle this challenge head-on. We've made significant progress in polar and glacier research, thanks to innovative technologies that allow us to monitor ice sheets, study relevant phenomena in labs, and create computational models to predict sea-level rise.
Our tools include satellite-based radar, solar-powered drones, robot submarines, lab-based 'artificial glaciers,' and advanced computing technologies, including artificial intelligence. One potential solution involves drilling to the bed of Thwaites and installing passive heat pumps, known as thermosiphons, to cool its base.
These ideas are still in their early stages. It will take years of research and development to determine if and how we can stabilize ice sheets. This process must consider the views of various governing bodies and stakeholders and adhere to established engineering frameworks, such as NASA's Technology Readiness Level (TRL) system.
Speed and innovation are essential due to the human and economic costs of sea-level rise, but so is scientific discipline and environmental responsibility. We cannot afford to 'move fast and break things,' but we also cannot debate until the crisis is upon us.
Philanthropy is stepping in where governments fall short, funding initiatives like the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC), which provided around $7 million annually from 2018 to 2025. However, this funding is minuscule compared to the hundreds of billions lost to coastal flooding annually. To prepare for rising sea levels, we need greater and sustained financial commitments.
As scientists dedicated to studying ice sheets and glaciers, we've long accepted their inevitable decline. But we're now embracing a more proactive approach, applying our knowledge to improve sea-level forecasts and develop solutions to slow the rate of rise. We must acknowledge the rising sea levels' impact on ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren, but facing reality doesn't mean accepting defeat. We must act now, combining emissions reduction with innovative solutions to prevent the worst-case scenarios.
If we fail, we'll have done our best to prepare humanity for the future. If we succeed, we'll have achieved something once thought impossible: preserving coastlines and giving future generations a chance to live with stable seas.
