Utrecht Scientists Propose Bering Dam to Boost AMOC
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- Jelle Soons and Henk Dijkstra of University of Utrecht propose a Bering Strait dam to halt Pacific freshwater inflow and boost the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
- European Geosciences Union presented on 5 May that high‑resolution supercomputer simulations show closing the Strait would strengthen the AMOC, especially if construction starts by 2050.
- Bering Strait is only 59 m deep at its deepest point and has two small islands, making a two‑section barrier technically feasible.
- Ed McCann of Expedition Engineering recommends a floating‑machinery, rock‑and‑sand barrier instead of concrete, calling the project “simple, just very big and very expensive”.
- Jonathan Rosser of the London School of Economics describes the proposal as “interesting”, indicating academic attention but no policy endorsement.
Why it matters: European governments could avert a sudden north‑European cooling that would threaten agriculture and spike energy demand, but only if a massive dam is built by 2050, demanding a huge, costly engineering effort.
