Scientists want to zap coastlines with electricity

Beaches are disappearing because of climate change and coastal erosion. This poses a risk to coastal communities across the world. Now, scientists may have an unconventional solution: zapping the waterfronts with electricity. The method could create a strong natural barrier against erosion and offer protection without chemicals or infrastructure changes.

Shock factor

Half of the world's beaches could disappear by 2100 because of sea-level rise, more intense storms and changing wind patterns and ocean currents. This poses a threat to both coastal communities as well as the coastal marine ecosystem including coral reefs. To combat the demise of beaches, a group of scientists have proposed using electricity to shock beaches into immobility. "By applying a mild electric stimulation to marine soils, we systematically and mechanistically proved that it is possible to cement them by turning naturally dissolved minerals in seawater into solid mineral binders," Alessandro Rotta Loria, lead author of a study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, said in a statement.

Experts have been contemplating ways of protecting eroding coastlines. The most commonly discussed methods are building a sea wall or injecting materials under the surface, both of which are disruptive to the ecosystem. "My aim was to develop an approach capable of changing the status quo in coastal protection — one that didn't require the construction of protection structures and could cement marine substrates without using actual cement," said Rotta Loria.

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The idea was inspired by marine animals with shells like clams, mussels and other mollusks, which "use their metabolic energy to convert seawater minerals into their skeletons and shells," said Gizmodo. "After being treated, the sand looks like a rock," Rotta Loria said. "It is still and solid. The minerals themselves are much stronger than concrete, so the resulting sand could become as strong and solid as a sea wall."

A natural solution

Methods like injecting cement into the ground and constructing sea walls have their own problems. "Not only do these methods cost tremendous amounts of money per kilometer, but they might not even last," Rotta Loria told Newsweek. "Oftentimes, they can suffer damage and even collapse." Using electricity could be the ideal solution. It is cost-effective, almost instantaneous and reversible. In addition, "renewable energy sources can power it, and it does not require the constant upkeep that other methods do," said ZME Science. The voltage to be used is also low enough that it would not affect an area's marine ecosystem.

"The applications of this approach are countless," Rotta Loria said. "We can use it to strengthen the seabed beneath sea walls or stabilize sand dunes and retain unstable soil slopes. We could also use it to strengthen protection structures, marine foundations and so many other things." So far, the method has only been tested in a lab, so further research must be done on real beaches and coastlines.

While the method shows promise, other solutions should also be discussed. "The use of natural cementation processes is not new for inland applications and is an active area of research for coastal applications," Andres Payo, the head of coasts and estuaries at the British Geological Survey, said to Newsweek. "While there is merit to continue exploring these techniques, expectations need to be well-managed, as the required transformational challenge around the world's coastlines is not just more cement."