Transcript Transboundary Ice Resources

Transboundary Ice Resources
Cody McCann and Arthur Ryzak
Source: www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/sn_icexv/
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/antarctica/5011121/
Overview
Antarctica
• Basin
• Treaty System
• Ice Resources - Freshwater
• Ice Resources - Other
• Conclusion
Antarctica Basin
• Total Area: 14 million km2
• 98% of terrain is covered
in continental ice sheets,
other 2% is barren rock
• 62% of world’s freshwater
is ice above Antarctica
land mass
• Winter and Summer
Temperatures
Source: www.theresilientearth.com/?q=content/ice-sheet-loss-cut-half
Source: wattsupwiththat.com/2009/04/18/what-happens-when-you-divide-antarctica-into-two-distinct-climate-zones/
Antarctica Basin
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Natural Resources
Precipitation
Volcanos
Climate Change
Source: hearthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=8239
Antarctica Treaty System
• No single nation owns any part
• Antarctic Treaty – Dec. 1, 1959
- 12 Original Countries
- 14 Articles
- Jurisdiction of the treaty is all areas including land
and ice shelves south of 60 degrees south latitude
• Currently 28 Consultative countries, 22 Non-consultative
countries
Antarctica Treaty System
• Antarctica Treaty System - defined as “the Antarctic Treaty,
the measures in effect under that Treaty, its associated
separate international instruments in force and the measures
in effect under those instruments”
• Conservation of Antarctic Seals - June 1972
• Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources - May 1980
• Environmental Protocols - 11th Antarctic Treaty Special
Consultative Meeting , Oct 1991
Antarctic Freshwater Resources
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24,000,000 km^3 of Ice
900 km^3/yr Iceberg Generation
4,000 km^3/yr Total Water Consumption (Global)
24 km^3/yr Total Water Consumption (Australia)
Source: virtualantarctica.com
Source: ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterdistribution.html
Ice Transport Theory
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Search, Locate
Breakout, Hookup
Insulate
Transport
Terminal Dock
Terminal Extraction
Distribution
Source: allfamouswonders.com/oceania
Source: Grand Banks Iceberg Management
Source: Dassault Systems
Ice Transport Challenges
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Diminishing Resource
Break-Up
Roll Stability
Melting
Salt Intrusion
Towing Capacity
Local Delivery Challenges
Source: darkroastedblend.com/2007
Source: darkroastedblend.com/2007
Source: commons.wikimedia.org
Ice Transport Policy Issues
• Who owns them?
• Environmental Impact Assessment
– Wind, Precipitation, and Evaporation
– Ocean Currents
– Total Polar Ice Mass
• The Law of the Sea
• Liability
Source: www.flickr.com/photos/greenpeaceuk
Source: http://globalpoliticalawakening.blogspot.com
Ice Transport - Future Work
• Desk Work
– Statistical Analysis of icebergs as function of
distance from mother shelf and oceanographic
parameters
– Computer Modeling of stresses and strains to
investigate breakup
– Bench Scale Tests
• Pilot Tow
Source: web.mit.edu/12.000
Source: florence20.typepad.com
Antarctic Ice Resources – Climate Research
• Direct record of past climates
• US National Ice Core Laboratory
Core Drilling at Newall Glacier, Antarctica
Antarctic Ice Core with Ancient Air Bubbles
160,000 Years of Climatic History
Source: National Ice Core Laboratory
Antarctic Ice Resources - Energy
• Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)
• Cold Air / Warm Water Conversion
• Hydropower?
Source: globalresearch.ca
Source: National Energy Laboratory Hawaii (NEHLA)
Antarctic Ice Resources – Unknown
• Russian Federation Scientists within
meters of breaching Lake Vostok –
sealed for the past 25 million years
• Russian Federation announced an
Antarctic strategy involving complex
investigations of the Antarctic
mineral, hydrocarbon and other
natural resources
• China recently established Kunlun
Research Station
Source:news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012
Conclusions
“New questions about equitable management are presenting challenges that
may reshape the political context of the continent in the next decade. During
the forthcoming period of change, the challenge is to ensure that Antarctica is
managed in the interests of all humankind, in a manner that conserves its
unique environment, preserves its value for scientific research, and retains its
character as a demilitarized, non-nuclear zone of peace” (Brundtland Report)
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Antarctica is a unique land governed by treaty rather than national boundary.
The water resources of Antarctica are vast, but relatively inaccessible.
As global water scarcity increases, developers will look for new sources.
As interest turns to Antarctica, equitable management may be a challenge.
Source: smithsonianmag.com
Discussion Questions
• What, if any, challenges to utilizing icebergs as a fresh water resource
seem insurmountable?
• What are some potential uses of the Antarctic ice resources that have not
been discussed here?
• With population increase and climate change affecting water resources,
do you think that countries will try to reinforce their claims over the
resources of Antarctica?
• Do you think that Antarctica will always be able to be independent and
void of governments or countries, why or why not?
References
Suggested Readings
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Husseiny, A.A. (1978). Iceberg Utilization. “Proceedings of the First International Conference and Workshops on
Iceberg Utilization for Fresh Water Production, Weather Modification and Other Applications held at Iowa State
University, Ames, Iowa, USA, October 2-6, 1977”.
Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty (2011). Key Documents of the Antarctic Treaty System.
http://www.ats.aq/documents/keydocs/vol_1/vol1_Volume_1_Complete_Document_e.pdf
References
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Bader, Henri (1973). “A Critical Look at the Iceberg Utilization Project,” Iceberg Utilization. “Proceedings of the First
International Conference and Workshops on Iceberg Utilization for Fresh Water Production, Weather Modification and Other
Applications held at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA, October 2-6, 1977”.
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Hult, John (1973). “Water Rights and Assessments: Proposals involving Antarctic Icebergs for the Colorado River Basin,
California, Mexico and other arid lands,” Rand Corporation Report P-5271.
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Kim et al. (2011). “Iceberg detection using full-polarimetric RADARSAT-2 SAR data in West Antarctica,”2011 3rd International
Asia-Pacific Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar, APSAR 2011, p236-239.
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National Geographic News, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/02/120206-russia-lake-vostok-antarcticadrilling-science-glacier/
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National Ice Core Laboratory Science Management Office, http://nicl-smo.unh.edu/icwg/.
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Spandonide, Bruno (2009). “Iceberg Freshwater Sustainable Transportation, a New Approach,” Proceedings of the Nieteenth
(2009) International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference Osaka, Japan, June 21-26, 2009.
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Stolfi, R. et al. (1973). “Ice Moving in Sea Water,” Iceberg Utilization. “Proceedings of the First International Conference and
Workshops on Iceberg Utilization for Fresh Water Production, Weather Modification and Other Applications held at Iowa
State University, Ames, Iowa, USA, October 2-6, 1977”.
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United Nations (1987). Brundtland Report, Ch 10. http://www.un-documents.net/wced-ocf.htm
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Weeks, W.F. and Campbell, W.J (1973). “Antarctic Icebers as a Fresh Water Resource,” Polar Record, Vol 16, No 104.