[Editor’s Note: In the last issue I asked for opinions about opportunities that exist for advances in ocean related science and industry. The following article was received in response to that request. I encourage others to send in their ideas, rebuttals, etc. also. Send them to j.gant@ieee.org.]

I hope that readers will examine these proposed solutions to problems that confront us, help to make others aware of them, and contribute their own ideas.
     Problem 1. Decreased precipitation on mountain tops worldwide. Air rises to flow over mountains, and encounters lower pressure at the higher altitudes. This allows it to expand and cool, so that moisture condenses on cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) called aerosols, which may be particles of dust, soot, bacteria, or clumps of gas molecules. The water or ice particles coalesce until they are heavy enough to fall to Earth. Much of the world’s population depends for its fresh water supply on water and snow that falls on mountains and is distributed by streams and rivers. This precipitation is decreasing, resulting in drought, as for example, in the Rocky Mountains, Lake Victoria, Australian Alps, and Ethiopian Highlands. Growing evidence indicates that this is due to increased numbers of aerosol particles, so that the limited supply of moisture is distributed over more CCN, with resulting smaller water particles that fail to coalesce and precipitate.
     Proposed solution: Rafts of floating solar-heated evaporator panels in coastal waters to increase the humidity of the air so that more water is distributed over a given number of CCN, making larger droplets that have a greater chance of coalescing. See www.sealevelcontrol.com for proposed raft construction and deployment. Evaporation is straightforward and predictable. Wind patterns, moisture transport and precipitation are variable and difficult to predict, so we may not receive precipitation where we need it. Placement of evaporator rafts will require great knowledge and care.
     Problem 2. Global warming. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are a cause of global warming. There is much talk about reducing GHG emissions to the atmosphere. This will only reduce the rate at which GHGs are added to the atmosphere. Global warming will still increase.
     Proposed solution: Rafts of floating reflector panels will reflect solar energy back to the sky or up to the clouds. Fresh and salt water are great absorbers of solar energy. Shading provided by the reflector panels will reduce the heating of the Earth. This is much safer than the seriously-considered proposal to shoot sulfurous aerosols into the stratosphere to create a sunshade of fine water or ice particles. Overturning circulation can carry these into the troposphere, where they will exacerbate the mountain-top drought problem.
     Problem 3. Ocean deterioration due to dumping, pollution, over-fishing, killing unintended species, warming, and acidification due to dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂). Nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) are needed in the sunlit surface layer so that phytoplankton can convert them into organic matter (more phytoplankton) to feed other creatures. Nutrients are stirred up from greater depths by winter storms when the sun does not heat the surface enough to keep the warm water on top and prevent mixing. The phytoplankton use up the nutrients during the Spring and cannot get more due to the stratification.
     Demonstrated solution: Wave-powered pumps are described at www.atmocean.com with some enhancements described at www.sealevelcontrol.com. These can bring up nutrients through the thermocline (thermally-stratified layer) to restore productivity. Cooler deep water is brought to the surface along with higher concentrations of CO₂, which is vented to the atmosphere. The global-warming effect of this GHG is counteracted by the floating reflectors. Removal of some CO₂ from the ocean makes it more alkaline (less acidic) and enables the corals to form skeletons and phytoplankton to form shells.
     Problem 4. Hurricane threat to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The Loop Current intrudes into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and collects a deep pool of warm water inside the loop. Hurricanes that come through the GoM intensify if they pass through the warm pool, as did Katrina in 2005 and Ike in 2008.
     Proposed solution: 64,000 floating turbines, each producing 250 kW of electric power, moored in the Yucatan Channel, Florida Straits, and Florida Current. This will eliminate the Loop Current intrusion entirely most of the time, so that the current goes directly from the Yucatan Channel to the Florida Straits. If there is no loop, there is no warm pool and no hurricane intensification. See www.sealevelcontrol.com for the hypothesis that explains this. At other times, the Loop Current intrudes, but much less than it did during the extreme Katrina event.
     I will be happy to answer questions.

Dr. Richard LaRosa
http://www.sealevelcontrol.com
317 Oak Street, South Hempstead,
NY 11550-7713
(516) 486-7827
rlarosa331@aol.com