OceanTherm is considering using bubble curtain technology to lower water surface temperatures, cutting off the energy supply that strengthens hurricanes.
The images of the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina prompted Olav Hollingsaeter, the CEO of OceanTherm, to seek a solution. Researchers found that warm surface sea temperatures contributed to powering Katrina into a major hurricane. They are concerned that hurricanes will become stronger and more frequent as sea temperatures continue to rise each year.
Hurricane Katrina from space. (Photo: Britannica).
Sea surface temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius or higher create conditions for tropical storm systems to develop and intensify. However, OceanTherm believes that bubble curtain technology could lower sea temperatures. Their plan involves installing perforated pipes on ships to release cooling bubbles into the surface seawater, interrupting the energy supply that hurricanes need to strengthen.
Their goal is to create a system large enough to span the Gulf of Mexico or even the Atlantic Ocean. The project is in the early development stage, but Hollingsaeter stated that recent simulations have been successful. At a depth of 100 meters, they found seawater cold enough to reduce the surface temperature below 27 degrees Celsius. Nonetheless, attracting investment remains a significant challenge for the company. The next steps for the project involve land and seabed testing, both of which require millions of USD in funding. According to Hollingsaeter, the seabed testing costs around 14.5 million USD.
This figure may seem expensive, but it pales in comparison to hurricane damage. The total cost of all field tests is 17.3 million USD, which is remarkably low compared to the 283 billion USD in damages caused by hurricanes like Maria, Irma, and Harvey in 2017, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This is not the first time scientists have proposed the idea of hurricane prevention. Dr. Tracy Fanara from the Department of Environmental Engineering at the University of Florida is concerned about the potential impacts on algae in the Gulf due to the chain reaction effect. According to Fanara, hurricane season brings some benefits, such as providing rainfall to areas and replenishing depleted groundwater sources. She emphasized that researchers can learn more from experimental projects like OceanTherm’s.
