Geoengineering by cloud seeding: Influence on sea ice and climate system

• Published in: Environmental Research Letters
• Other Authors: Rasch, Philip (author), Latham, John (author), Chen, Chih-Chieh (author)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Physics Publishing 2009
• Subjects: geo-engineering; climate change; global warming; cloud seeding; aerosol indirect effect; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/collections/OSGC-000-000-000-705; https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/4/4/045112

General circulation model computations using a fully coupled ocean–atmosphere model indicate that increasing cloud reflectivity by seeding maritime boundary layer clouds with particles made from seawater may compensate for some of the effects on climate of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. The chosen seeding strategy (one of many possible scenarios) can restore global averages of temperature, precipitation and sea ice to present day values, but not simultaneously. The response varies nonlinearly with the extent of seeding, and geoengineering generates local changes to important climatic features. The global tradeoffs of restoring ice cover, and cooling the planet, must be assessed alongside the local changes to climate features. National Science Foundation (NSF): TG-ATM090009