Arctic Ice Project

LABORATORY RESEARCH - With the goal of determining the safety of potential deployment, Arctic Ice Project (AIP) partners with a leading marine technology and bio-marine research laboratory in Norway. AIPs contract research is producing important and publishable results. The overarching goal of this research is to understand the fate and distribution of hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) in the Arctic Ocean and the extent to which, if any, HGMs might be harmful to indigenous species in the water column. All studies to date have been conducted in controlled laboratory conditions using Arctic ocean water and simulated ocean and atmospheric turbulence. The sequence of such laboratory studies will provide a critical understanding of possible toxicological effects of HGMs on a robust representative sample of indigenous ocean species. The objective of our laboratory research is to determine for ourselves, the scientific community, permitting authorities and concerned Indigenous peoples that a future test-bed deployment of HGMs to protect sea ice in approved Arctic ocean waters would be safe. We are proceeding with a blended sense of optimism and due diligence.

CLIMATE MODELING - With the goal of determining the efficacy of potential deployment, AIPpartners with with a world-class climate modeling team to execute the computer modeling and simulations required to support publication of the effectiveness of our methodology in targeted strategic areas of the Arctic Sea. Global climate models are large, complex supercomputer programs requiring teams of researchers to develop and refine over time. The modeling team conducts numerical simulations to see the effects of spreading highly reflective silica microspheres in targeted areas of the Arctic Sea. CLIMATE MODELING - The intent is to identify optimal locations and time for material deployment and evaluate large scale climate impacts. Results to date show HGM application decreases both Arctic average surface temperatures and global average surface temperatures. We partnered with the NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) to use NASAs state-of-the-art supercomputers and analysis tools to run these simulations. This partnership, in addition to enabling an affiliation with a respected research organization, also provided essential computational resources for the cost of only our personnel. Our climate modeling work has been presented at annual conferences and manuscripts have been published in peer-reviewed journals.

EDUCATION - The goal of educating people about the role the Arctic plays in influencing climate change is of paramount importance in AIPs collective efforts to address one of the most pressing global challenges of our time. The Arctic region serves as a crucial indicator and driver of climate change, with its rapidly warming temperatures, melting ice, and impacts on global weather patterns. Understanding the Arctic's significance helps individuals and policymakers comprehend the far-reaching consequences of climate change, from rising sea levels to altered weather patterns and biodiversity loss. It underscores the urgency of taking meaningful action to mitigate the effects of climate change, making public awareness and informed decision-making essential for a sustainable future.