Melting glacier in Italy covered with tarpaulin
In Italy, unusual measures have been taken to save the melting Presen glacier. It is located in Lombardy, in the north of the country, according to The Daily Mail.
Since 1993, the glacier has lost more than a third of its volume. To preserve what was left, climate experts decided to cover it with tarps during the hottest months.
The special geotextile cover reflects the sun's rays and keeps the temperature low. The project started in 2008. A recent study found that tarp helped save 70% of the glacial mass.
The tarpaulin is divided into strips about 70 meters long and 4.8 meters wide. They cover 29 acres (11.7 ha) of ice surface. It takes specialists about a month to expand all the strips.
“This area is constantly shrinking, so we cover it as much as possible,” explained the group members.
It is noted that the strips of tarpaulin should be sewn together so that warm drafts do not penetrate under them. The cover is kept in place from the wind with sandbags.
The Presena Glacier suffers not only from sunlight, but also from algae, which turns white snow pink. The species is known as Ancylonema nordenskioeldii. Scientists note that algae themselves are harmless. But they make the surface of ice and snow darker, which means more susceptible to melting. This phenomenon is present on many glaciers around the globe, and experts have not yet figured out how to deal with it.
Note that the idea of saving glaciers with artificial turf is not unique. In China, the Dagu glacier was “wrapped” in geotextile blankets as part of an experiment. As a result, the covered area melted one meter less than the unprotected one.
