Solar geoengineering has been a hot topic among the scientific community in recent years, and some researchers think that it can be harnessed for the greater good. A new study notes that solar geoengineering has the potential to mitigate the advance of global warming.
Before we go on, it is essential to explain the concept. Solar geoengineering implies the use of high-power aerosols which are released into the atmosphere with the aim to reflect sunlight and reduce the effects of global warming.
Researchers from MIT, Princeton, and Harvard, worked on the joint study. The results suggest that if we can release enough aerosols to halve global warming around the world, the effects would be quite positive. The researchers also explored the possibility to block global warming entirely, and while the aim could be achieved at some point, the side effects would lead to severe consequences in the long run. The adverse side effects would include significant temperature drops, abundant precipitations, and a compromised water cycle.
Solar Geoengineering Might Slow Down Global Warming
The team used an advanced high-resolution simulation to observe how the scenario would take place. According to the team, less than 0.4 percent of the Earth’s surface would be affected by the side effects while the rest of the world would enjoy lower temperatures, a smaller number of hurricanes and tamer precipitations.
One of the researchers has declared that the places were the side effects would surface are those who aren’t affected by climate change in the first place. Previous research may have suggested that solar geoengineering would divide the world into two sides, with some regions being affected at a large scale. The information provided by the recent study indicates that the method would be very efficient and the risks are minimal for all regions.
While the results may seem like a big step in the right direction, further research is needed before solar geoengineering would make the transition from a concept to a useful strategy that could be deployed around the world.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.