|
|
In that case, would it be feasible to create a pipeline on the scale of
the Alaska Oil Pipeline to transport freshwaters from the
Antarctic/Antarctica region to Africa or any other arid area?
John Baez wrote:
> In article <1167440293.476240.10820@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> Randy Poe <poespam-trap@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Brablo wrote:
>
> >> Is it technically and economically feasible to transport entire
> >> icebergs - measuring 1 cubic mile - to desert lands or Africa?
>
> >I don't think icebergs are that big. I don't know if glaciers
> >are even that big.
>
> Let's see. The biggest iceberg ever seen was called B-15:
>
> http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/icebergfaq.html
>
> It was about 300 km x 27 km in area, and roughly 500 meters thick.
>
> That's about 4000 cubic kilometers, or 4 x 10^{12} cubic meters,
> or 4 x 10^{12} tonnes, or 1000 cubic miles, or 10^{15} gallons -
> a "petagallon".
>
> However, nobody is going to tow something this big anytime soon,
> and most icebergs are much smaller.
>
> Here are some references on iceberg towing:
>
> http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/ESLINGHM/
>
> http://www.antarctica.org/UK/Envirn/pag/glaces_UK/oceanes_UK/remorquer_UK.htm
>
> The latter concludes:
>
> On the other side of the world, Australian glaciologists had imagined, one
> day, towing Antarctic icebergs as far as the arid areas of their southern
> towns, such as Perth or Adelaide. Although they thought about it with all
> the necessary seriousness, these projects were never successfully concluded
> because of the multiplicity of problems posed by any possible towing: the
> ridiculously slow speed of the convoy, (less than 2kph), the tendency of
> icebergs to turn in on themselves and dislocate themselves, the melting
> of a part of the iceberg along the way and insulating it, the approach
> to the port areas and the reception of the iceberg, the transformation of
> its ice into water, etc etc. For the moment, then, even if some still
> maybe believe in one or other of these crazy projects, scientists and
> financiers are unanimous in their admission that an operation of this
> kind will certainly never see the light of day.
|
|