{"id":2779,"date":"2023-08-07T16:31:29","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T21:31:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=2779"},"modified":"2023-08-07T16:34:55","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07T21:34:55","slug":"marine-cloud-brightening-a-mist-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=2779","title":{"rendered":"Marine Cloud Brightening: A Mist Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

[ed. note: I wish I could take credit for this great pun, but it is from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation<\/a>.]<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marine Cloud Brightening<\/strong> is a geoengineering technique that may play a big role in addressing climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concept is simple: spray a salt water mist into the air, let the mist drift up and form cloud droplets, and the droplets reflect sunlight into space (albedo<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current modeling research indicates that marine cloud brightening could substantially cool the planet….<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The climatic impacts of marine cloud brightening would be rapidly responsive and reversible<\/strong>. If the brightening activity were to change in intensity, or stop altogether, then the clouds’ brightness would respond within a few days to weeks, as the cloud condensation nuclei particles precipitate naturally.<\/em>– Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From Ships<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In fact, marine cloud brightening on a small scale already occurs unintentionally due to the aerosols in ships’ exhaust, leaving ship tracks.<\/em> – Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By Liam Gumley, Space Science and Engineering Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Detail from above photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How it works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Clouds are formed from water vapor condensing around tiny particles of dust, clay, soot, or even phytoplankton or sulfur dioxide. Or salt!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This requires technology that can generate optimally-sized (~100 nm) sea-salt particles and deliver them at sufficient force and scale to penetrate low-lying marine clouds. The resulting spray mist must then be delivered continuously into target clouds over the ocean.<\/em> – Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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Cloud Condensation Nuclei<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Interesting typical dimensions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n