Editing Bering Strait (section)

== Proposed dam ==
In 1956, the Soviet Union proposed to the US a joint bi-national project to warm the Arctic Ocean and melt some of the ice cap. As designed by Petr Borisov, the Soviet project called for a {{convert|90|km|mi|sp=us|adj=mid|-wide}} dam across the Bering Strait. It would block the cold Pacific current from entering the Arctic. By pumping low-salinity cold surface water across the dam to the Pacific, warmer and higher salinity sea water from the Atlantic Ocean would be introduced into the Arctic Ocean.<ref name="ley196106">{{Cite magazine |last=Ley |first=Willy |date=June 1961 |title=The Strait Named After Vitus Bering |department=For Your Information |url=https://archive.org/stream/Galaxy_v19n05_1961-06_modified#page/n18/mode/1up |magazine=Galaxy Science Fiction |pages=37–51}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gizmodo.com/5680669/thawing-the-arctic---soviet-russias-cold-war-war-on-cold |title=How the USSR Tried to Melt the Arctic |first=James Rodger |last=Fleming |date=November 11, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-soviet-scientist-who-dreamed-of-melting-the-arctic-with-a-55-mile-dam/ |title=The Soviet Scientist Who Dreamed of Melting the Arctic with a 55-Mile-Long Dam |date=April 25, 2013}}</ref> However, citing national security concerns, the CIA and FBI experts opposed the Soviet plan by arguing that while the plan was feasible, it would compromise [[NORAD]] and thus the dam could be built at only an immense cost.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=QuEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA135 "Ocean Dams Would Thaw North"] ''Popular Mechanics'', June 1956, p. 135.</ref> Soviet scientist D. A. Drogaytsev also opposed the idea, stating that the sea north of the dam and north-flowing rivers in Siberia would become unnavigable year round, and the [[Gobi Desert|Gobi]] and other deserts would be extended to the northern Siberia coastline.{{r|ley196106}}

American [[Charles P. Steinmetz]] (1865–1923) earlier proposed to widen the Bering Strait by removing [[St. Lawrence Island]] and parts of [[Seward Peninsula|Seward]] and [[Chukotski Peninsula]]s. A strait {{convert|200|mi|sp=us|order=flip|}} wide would let the [[Japan Current]] melt the Arctic Ocean.{{r|ley196106}}

In the 21st century, a {{convert|300|km|adj=on|sp=us|}} dam has also been proposed. However, the aim of the proposal is to preserve the Arctic ice cap against global warming.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cleverclimate.org/ |title=Diomede Crossroads: Saving the Arctic sea ice? Thoughts on plausibility}}</ref>