Modelling study explores marine cloud brightening as a way to reduce severe El Niño impacts
A modelling study suggests that marine cloud brightening — a form of short-term geoengineering that sprays seawater into clouds over the eastern Pacific Ocean — could potentially reduce the severity of super El Niño events and save the global economy trillions of dollars. However, the approach could also disrupt natural climate cycles, creating winners and losers, and may have unexpected consequences. The research highlights both the potential benefits and risks of using geoengineering to mitigate extreme climate events.
Key quotes
Short-term geoengineering to brighten clouds over the eastern Pacific Ocean could limit the damage caused by El Niño and save the global economy trillions of dollars, although there could be winners and losers from the disruption of natural cycles.
The El Niño climate phase occurs when easterly winds weaken, allowing warm water built up in the western Pacific to slosh back across the central and eastern parts of the ocean.
That heats the atmosphere and raises global temperatures, with losses to economic growth estimated in the trillions of dollars.
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