Simulations suggest marine cloud brightening could weaken extreme El Niño events
Scientists have proposed using marine cloud brightening — adding aerosols to the atmosphere over a specific region of the Pacific Ocean to increase and brighten clouds — as a potential geoengineering technique to reduce the strength of El Niño events and their associated weather extremes. New computer simulations published in Science Advances suggest this approach could trigger atmospheric changes that weaken extreme El Niños. The research, sparked by observations of fires, shows promise but also carries potential risks.
Key quotes
Adding aerosols to the atmosphere over a particular patch of the Pacific Ocean can increase and brighten clouds in the region, creating a cooling effect.
New computer simulations show this can trigger atmospheric changes that might reduce the strength of an El Niño event — and the weather extremes that come along with it.
The idea was sparked by fires, says Jessica Wan, a climate scientist now at the University of Chicago.
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