Science Recorder | Saturday, April 06, 2013
By using paint and sawdust
Glaciers, paint, and sawdust. What could go wrong?
The newly released study, led by Ohio State University glaciologist Lonnie Thompson, reaffirms earlier reports, which detail the massive ice loss at the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru. Quelccaya, located in far eastern Peru, is showing signs of waning under the pressure of rising temperatures and, according to the report, nearly 1,600 years of ice has melted away over the course of just 25 years. The latest report is the another sign that Peru is struggling to protect one of Earth’s largest collection of glaciers. Since 1970, at least 22 percent of the country’s glacier area has melted, and ice is said to be retreating at average rate of 200 feet per year.
A newly published report finds glaciers in the Peruvian Andes remain under threat from global warming, and that has led local residents to devise some stunning ways to thwart the effects of rising temperatures.
As a result of the massive melt, local residents to come up with some creative ways of saving the glaciers. Among the most innovative proposals put forth, so far, includes covering the massive glaciers in sawdust. Glaciologist Benjamin Morales, who led the experiment, noticed sawdust being used to keep blocks of ice cold as they were moved around the country. Using 150 big sacks of sawdust collected from a sawmill, Morales hired a crew to cart it onto the tongue of a glacier, and had them cover a backyard-sized plot in about six inches of sawdust. Ten months later, according to Morales, patches of the glacier had largely melted away, except those covered in the sawdust.
Plans have also included painting glaciers in white paint. The backbreaking work — which requires massive amount of lime, water and other ingredients — is based on a simple premise. White slope will dramatically cool off high mountain breezes when covered in white paint, as the paint reflects back into space the infrared radiation emitted by the sun, cooling the rocks.
The project, led by Eduardo Gold, an engineer and self-described inventor and founder of Peru Glaciers, who says early results show a dramatic change. According to researchers, thermometer readings show a difference of 30 degrees Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) in temperature between the dark rocks and the previously whitened ones. The difference is enough to slow the melt rate, and the idea was endorsed by the World Bank, which called it one of the most 100 innovative ideas of the year.
While the plans are environmentally minded, it may have more to do with protecting the nation’s source of fresh water. Peru, according to climate scientists, heavily relies on annual melt water from the glaciers. The Peru Support Group, a local advocacy group, says Peru’s local economy is largely based around glaciers slowly releasing water into rivers, which provide drinking water and water for agriculture, hydroelectricity and industry such as agro-exports and mining.
As a result of the massive melt, local residents to come up with some creative ways of saving the glaciers. Among the most innovative proposals put forth, so far, includes covering the massive glaciers in sawdust. Glaciologist Benjamin Morales, who led the experiment, noticed sawdust being used to keep blocks of ice cold as they were moved around the country. Using 150 big sacks of sawdust collected from a sawmill, Morales hired a crew to cart it onto the tongue of a glacier, and had them cover a backyard-sized plot in about six inches of sawdust. Ten months later, according to Morales, patches of the glacier had largely melted away, except those covered in the sawdust.
Plans have also included painting glaciers in white paint. The backbreaking work — which requires massive amount of lime, water and other ingredients — is based on a simple premise. White slope will dramatically cool off high mountain breezes when covered in white paint, as the paint reflects back into space the infrared radiation emitted by the sun, cooling the rocks.
The project, led by Eduardo Gold, an engineer and self-described inventor and founder of Peru Glaciers, who says early results show a dramatic change. According to researchers, thermometer readings show a difference of 30 degrees Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) in temperature between the dark rocks and the previously whitened ones. The difference is enough to slow the melt rate, and the idea was endorsed by the World Bank, which called it one of the most 100 innovative ideas of the year.
While the plans are environmentally minded, it may have more to do with protecting the nation’s source of fresh water. Peru, according to climate scientists, heavily relies on annual melt water from the glaciers. The Peru Support Group, a local advocacy group, says Peru’s local economy is largely based around glaciers slowly releasing water into rivers, which provide drinking water and water for agriculture, hydroelectricity and industry such as agro-exports and mining.
Read more: http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/how-are-locals-saving-the-peruvian-andes-from-melting-by-using-paint-and-sawdust/#ixzz2PjM8f3os
