Methods to create and improve cloud cover could also serve as a means to reduce GHGs sounds impractical. But cloud engineering is an effective painkiller for global warming, according to the researchers at Birmingham University.
In their recent study, researchers at the University of Birmingham discovered an interesting fact about marine cloud brightening (MCB). Also known as marine cloud engineering, it primarily works to increase the amount of cloud cover, which accounts for around 60% to 90% of cooling effect.
Recently, MCB is being considered as a way to offset global warming, that is attracting more attention towards it. This is also expected to gather some time for industries to prepare further steps as the global economy decarbonizes.
According to new research, the effectiveness of cloud engineering could be enhanced more than before because of the increased production of cloud cover. The main aim behind the research was to increase interest in cloud engineering around the world.
Highlights
- To understand the concept, researchers created a natural experiment.
- By using aerosol injection from the eruption of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, they studied the interactions between clouds, aerosols and climate.
- They used machine learning and historic meteorological and satellite data to create a predictor.
- They identified clear impacts on the clouds caused directly by volcanic aerosols.
Working of MCB
It sprays aerosols or tiny particles into the atmosphere. There they mix up with the clouds. This process’s main aim is to increase the amount of sunlight reflected by the clouds.
Problems
The working of MCB to create the cooling effect and clouds response to aerosols are still unclear to many. This is due to different effects like confounding from co-varying meteorological conditions.
Conclusion
During the volcanic activity, the clover cover increased up to 50%. This produced a regional cooling effect of around -10 W m-2.
The research concluding cloud engineering is an effective painkiller for global warming was conducted in collaboration with the Universities of Edinburgh, Reading and Leeds, and the Met Office. It also included the University of Maryland and NASA in the U.S along with ETH Zurich in Switzerland.
Dr. Ying Chen of the University of Birmingham and lead author, said, “Our findings show that marine cloud brightening could be more effective as a climate intervention than climate models have suggested previously. Of course, while it could be useful, MCB does not address the underlying causes of global warming from greenhouse gases produced by human activity.”
He further added, “It should therefore be regarded as a ‘painkiller,’ rather than a solution, and we must continue to improve fundamental understanding of aerosol’s impacts on clouds, further research on global impacts and risks of MCB, and search for ways to decarbonize human activities.”
Source: Cloud engineering could be more effective ‘painkiller’ for global warming than previously thought