Practicalities of sea ice thickening field studies in the Arctic

Within the context of research into sea ice thickening, field studies are essential. The variety of conditions experienced within the field is wide, and includes variables such as ice thickness, snow depth, snow type, wind speed, temperature. Moreover, these can change rapidly over short distances and time within the field.
Given the urgency of addressing Arctic repair, real world studies need to be conducted now at scale to investigate viability of potential routes, whilst simultaneously advancing knowledge of the science. Real Ice has carried out the largest pilot trials yet within the Arctic, creating around 50,000 tonnes of new ice during winter 2024/25.
In order to achieve this, many engineering boundaries have been pushed in terms of creating equipment configurations that will operate within Arctic conditions. Additionally very few sea ice thickening measures could be carried out without human-led activities, and this naturally presents its own set of challenges.
This presentation gives information on the specific challenges faced by the Real Ice team within the field studies. It explores many of the engineering, operational, safety, and ethical challenges faced. As well as highlighting successful approaches within this extreme environment, information on aspects that did not work so well will be given. Following this learning, future alternatives will be proposed.
The rapid learning gained from the winter 2024 / 25 field trials can now inform future trials, bringing larger scale ice-thickening closer as rapidly as possible.