How electrified beaches could save our shores from devastating erosion

[Judi Lynn]

By StudyFinds Staff
•
Reviewed by Steve Fink

Research led by Alessandro Rotta Loria, Northwestern University

Aug 24, 2024




Beach erosion after storm activity along Australia's Gold Coast (© DavidJMorgan - stock.adobe.com)

CHICAGO — As coastal communities around the world grapple with the growing threat of erosion, researchers have uncovered a surprising potential solution: electricity. Scientists from Northwestern University say that applying mild electrical currents to marine sands could create natural, sustainable defenses against the relentless assault of waves and rising sea levels.

Coastal erosion is a pressing global issue, with approximately 40% of the world’s population living in coastal areas. As sea levels rise and storms intensify, nearly 26% of the Earth’s beaches could vanish by the end of this century. Traditional methods to combat this problem, such as seawalls and beach replenishment, often provide only temporary relief and can be costly to maintain.

Now, Northwestern’s Alessandro Rotta Loria and his team have found a way to turn sand into a rock-like substance, creating a natural armor for our coasts that could last for generations.

“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,” Rotta Loria says in a statement. “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 — a natural cement.”

This innovative technique, called electrodeposition, draws inspiration from nature’s own architects: clams, mussels, and other shell-dwelling sea creatures. Just as these marine mollusks use dissolved minerals in seawater to construct their protective homes, the researchers harnessed these same minerals to create a natural cement between grains of sand. The twist? Instead of relying on the slow process of metabolic energy, they used electricity to kickstart the reaction.

More:
https://studyfinds.org/how-electricity-saves-beaches-coastal-erosion/