Re:Anyway we could use it?
by
RGRistroph
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
At various times people have talked about towing big icebergs from the south up to places where fresh water costs a lot, like California or Saudi Arabia. The iceberg would be moored off shore and surrounded by a floating boom, so that as it melted the fresh water would be trapped (it floats on the salt water before it mixes) and drawn off for use.
An iceberg this big could not be towed. But maybe people could go on board and stud the big thing with masts that had radio and computer controlled sails, and try to move it that way. You have a lot of time, because something of this size would take years to melt even at the equator. A chunk of ice shelf this size will calf off icebergs itself, so the project would have to watch and track them and warn shipping. Moving a chunk of ice shelf this way may be easier than towing a normal iceberg, because it won't roll over as it melts.
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An iceberg this big could not be towed. But maybe people could go on board and stud the big thing with masts that had radio and computer controlled sails, and try to move it that way. You have a lot of time, because something of this size would take years to melt even at the equator. A chunk of ice shelf this size will calf off icebergs itself, so the project would have to watch and track them and warn shipping. Moving a chunk of ice shelf this way may be easier than towing a normal iceberg, because it won't roll over as it melts.
Towing icebergs to get fresh water: http://www.antarctica.org/UK/Envirn/pag/glaces_UK/ oceanes_UK/remorquer_UK.htm.
This has happened before: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/07/24/171420 0.
Suppose the iceberg houses pinguin colonies or other wildlife? What happens with them. Are they aware they're afloat? Can they reach main land again?