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Links to recent scientific papers, web posts, upcoming events, job opportunities, podcasts, and event recordings, etc. on Solar Radiation Management Technology.
RESEARCH ARTICLESLiu, Z., Lang, X., & Jiang, D. (2024). Stratospheric aerosol injection geoengineering would mitigate greenhouse gas‐induced drying and affect global drought patterns. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129(3), e2023JD039988. Abstract Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is suggested as a potential measure for alleviating global warming. The potential effects of SAI on global temperature and precipitation have been extensively discussed, but its impact on drought has received little attention. Based on the simulations from the G6sulfur experiment that employs SAI to reduce the global mean surface temperature from the level of high-tier forcing (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways SSP5-8.5) scenario to that of medium-tier forcing (SSP2-4.5) scenario, we investigate the drought response to SAI via the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index. During 2081–2100, SAI effectively offsets the greenhouse gas-induced aridity trend by increasing the climate water balance at the global scale. Drought duration and severity decrease but drought frequency increases under SAI forcing. Robust wetting responses occur over most regions, especially the Sahara, South America, southern Africa and Australia, while Alaska, Greenland, Southeast Asia, and tropical Africa face enhanced drought due to SAI. Relative to the SSP2-4.5 scenario, the regional drying and wetting patterns in G6sulfur are remarkably different. Notably, in tropical Africa, SAI reverses the wetting caused by greenhouse gases and induces severer drought. The drought pattern changes are largely due to evaporative demand alterations caused by the vapor pressure deficit response.
Feinberg, A. (2024). Annual Solar Geoengineering: Mitigating Yearly Global Warming Increases. Climate, 12(2), 26. Abstract Solar geoengineering (SG) solutions have many advantages compared to the difficulty of carbon dioxide removal (CDR): SG produces fast results, is shown here to have much higher efficiency than CDR, is not related to fossil fuel legislation, reduces the GHG effect including water vapor, and is something we all can participate in by brightening the Earth with cool roofs and roads. SG requirements detailed previously to mitigate global warming (GW) have been concerning primarily because of overwhelming goals and climate circulation issues. In this paper, annual solar geoengineering (ASG) equations and estimated requirements for yearly solar radiation modification (SRM) of areas are provided along with the advantages of annual solar geoengineering (ASG) to mitigate yearly global warming temperature increases. The ASG albedo area modification requirements found here are generally 50 to potentially more than 150 times less compared to the challenge of full SG GW albedo mitigation, reducing circulation concerns and increasing feasibility. These reductions are applied to L1 space sunshading, Earth brightening, and stratosphere aerosol injection (SAI) SRM annual area requirements. However, SAI coverage compared to other methods will have higher yearly increasing maintenance costs in the annual approach. Results also show that because ASG Earth albedo brightening area requirements are much smaller than those needed for full mitigation, there are concerns that worldwide negative SG would interfere with making positive advances for several reasons. That is, negative SG currently dominates yearly practices with the application of dark asphalt roads, roofs, and building sides. This issue is discussed.
Jared Farley, Douglas G Macmartin¹, Daniele Visioni, et al. Emulating Inconsistencies in Stratospheric Aerosol Injection. ESS Open Archive . February 13, 2024 Abstract Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) would involve the addition of sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere in order to reflect part of the incoming solar radiation, thereby cooling the climate. Studies trying to explore the impacts of SAI have often focused on idealized scenarios without explicitly introducing what we call “inconsistencies” in a deployment. A concern often discussed is what would happen to the climate system after an abrupt termination of its deployment, whether inadvertent or deliberate. However, there is a much wider range of plausible inconsistencies in deployment than termination that should be evaluated to better understand associated risks. In this work, we simulate a few representative inconsistencies in a pre-existing SAI scenario: an abrupt termination, a decade-long gradual phase-out, and 1-year and 2-year temporary interruptions of deployment. After examining their climate impacts, we use these simulations to train an emulator, and use this to project global mean temperature response for a broader set of inconsistencies in deployment. Our work highlights the capacity of a finite set of explicitly-simulated scenarios that include inconsistencies to inform an emulator that is capable of expanding the space of scenarios that one might want to explore far more quickly and efficiently.
Daniel Pflüger, Claudia Elisabeth Wieners, Leo van Kampenhout, et al. Flawed Emergency Intervention: Slow Ocean Response to Abrupt Stratospheric Aerosol Injection. ESS Open Archive . February 08, 2024. Abstract Given the possibility of irreversible, anthropogenic changes in the climate system, technologies such as solar radiation management (SRM) are sometimes framed as possible emergency interventions. However, little knowledge exists on the efficacy of such deployments. To fill in this gap, we perform Community Earth System Model 2 (CESM 2) simulations of an intense warming scenario on which we impose gradual early-century SRM or rapid late-century cooling (an emergency intervention), both realised via stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI). While both scenarios cool Earth's surface, ocean responses differ drastically. Rapid cooling fails to release deep ocean heat content or restore an ailing North Atlantic deep convection but partially stabilizes the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. In contrast, the early intervention effectively mitigates changes in all of these features. Our results suggest that slow ocean timescales impair the efficacy of some SAI emergency interventions.
Trees, V. J., de Roode, S. R., Wiltink, J. I., Meirink, J. F., Wang, P., Stammes, P., & Siebesma, A. P. (2024). Clouds dissipate quickly during solar eclipses as the land surface cools. Communications Earth & Environment, 5(1), 71. AbstractClouds affected by solar eclipses could influence the reflection of sunlight back into space and might change local precipitation patterns. Satellite cloud retrievals have so far not taken into account the lunar shadow, hindering a reliable spaceborne assessment of the eclipse-induced cloud evolution. Here we use satellite cloud measurements during three solar eclipses between 2005 and 2016 that have been corrected for the partial lunar shadow together with large-eddy simulations to analyze the eclipse-induced cloud evolution. Our corrected data reveal that, over cooling land surfaces, shallow cumulus clouds start to disappear at very small solar obscurations (~15%). Our simulations explain that the cloud response was delayed and was initiated at even smaller solar obscurations. We demonstrate that neglecting the disappearance of clouds during a solar eclipse could lead to a considerable overestimation of the eclipse-related reduction of net incoming solar radiation. These findings should spur cloud model simulations of the direct consequences of sunlight-intercepting geoengineering proposals, for which our results serve as a unique benchmark.
WEB POSTS
JOB OPPORTUNITIES“Arctic Ice Project (AIP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to slowing global warming and stabilizing the global climate by safely preserving and restoring Arctic sea ice through research, development and deployment of innovative solutions. This Technical Director (TD) position is for a highly skilled PhD in earth, environmental, climate science, or related field, with cryosphere research experience. The ideal candidate would be a mid- to late-career established scientist/engineer with a strong professional network. Seeking an individual interested in either full or part-time, with experience working outside their institution (e.g., working with professional organizations, nonprofits, start-ups, etc.). TD reports to the AIP CEO.”
“We are seeking to appoint a research fellow position in Solar Geoengineering, to be held in the Department of Earth Sciences at UCL. The Horizon Europe-funded project ‘Conditions for Responsible Research of SRM – Analysis, Co-Creation, and Ethos (Co-Create)’ aims to support the development of possible new research governance arrangements for solar geoengineering in the European Union. The post is available for 18 months in the first instance and collaborations will span several UK and European universities and several disciplines. The postdoctoral researcher will play a central role in the scientific and technical evaluation of solar geoengineering and proposed field tests as part of this interdisciplinary project. The postdoctoral researcher will also help organize an international workshop focused on potential field tests of solar geoengineering, bringing together researchers with plans for such field tests.”
“As the urgency for climate action intensifies globally, we are witnessing a concerning trend of speculative and high-risk marine geoengineering technologies being increasingly considered as potential ‘solutions.’ Technologies such as Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement or Marine Cloud Brightening that were once deemed unthinkable are now being actively promoted by private companies and supported by government policies and public resources, undermining urgently needed climate action and posing potentially catastrophic risks to communities and marine ecosystems. The Marine Geoengineering Campaigner at CIEL will be instrumental in supporting work to confront the rising threats posed by marine geoengineering in order to protect people, ecosystems, and the planet. This early-career role will help educate coalition partners, decisionmakers, and the public about the dangers of marine geoengineering to the climate, biodiversity and human rights, and assist in advocating for genuine climate solutions that avoid expensive and dangerous distractions and technofixes. The position involves research, communications, policy and advocacy campaigns. They will collaborate extensively with civil society networks to advocate for protections and governance around marine geoengineering in international policy making spaces in order to enable a just transition away from fossil fuels. This is an important new role at CIEL, supervised by the Geoengineering Campaign Manager.”
UPCOMING EVENTSWe have curated a “Solar Geoengineering Events Calendar.” Explore and stay informed about upcoming events, conferences, and webinars on SRM technology. Sync specific events / all events to your default calendar to ensure you never miss out on important SRM updates. Solar Geoengineering Events Calendar Find sync guidelines in the calendar’s “About” section or you can sync all Solar Geoengineering events to your default calendars by pressing the link below: Sync SG Events to your Default Calendar
PODCASTS“Altering the ocean or atmosphere to mitigate the effects of climate change is an approach called geoengineering. For scientists, these techniques were long considered taboo. But now, that’s changing. Researchers and startups are launching three geoengineering field experiments in Israel, Australia and Massachusetts this year. But will they work and could there be unintended consequences? WSJ reporter Eric Niiler tells host Alex Ossola about these projects, and what they could mean for the future of the planet.”
YOUTUBE VIDEOSDouglas MacMartin on solar geoengineering (Feb 12, 2024) | Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition “This lecture, presented by Prof. MacMartin from Cornell University, was part of Climate Emergency: Spring into Action 2024 series organized by the WMU Climate Change Working Group.
MEER Update 2023 | Climate Emergency Forum “MEER, which stands for Mirrors for Earth’s Energy Rebalance, aligns with Dr. James Hansen's recent paper on Global Warming in the Pipeline and seeks to provide a way of addressing the problem. Dr. Tao explains his motivation for starting the MEER project, emphasizing the urgency of tackling climate issues. He highlights the potential impact of legacy greenhouse gases and the need for solutions. The discussion touches on the Faustian bargain of aerosols and their role in temperature rise. Dr. Tao shares insights from experiments in Sierra Leone, where rooftop mirrors have demonstrated significant cooling effects on buildings, positively impacting residents' lives. The conversation extends to challenges faced during MEER experiments, such as the need for high-quality data and community engagement. Dr. Tao emphasizes the importance of educating the community, involving children in workshops, and providing them with opportunities to learn about science and technology. Furthermore, Dr. Tao introduces a related project aimed at addressing water safety issues, inspired by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He describes a device that utilizes sunlight to heat water, reaching sterilization temperatures and offering a potential solution for regions lacking access to clean drinking water. Dr. Tao concludes by sharing his vision for worker-owned enterprises, incorporating artistic expression, and generating revenue to support basic needs such as clean water, food, and education in vulnerable communities.”
Robert Hunziker and Planetary Restoration Action Group | Robbie Tulip “This is a great discussion! Robert Hunziker is a leading international journalist writing on geoengineering. Last week Counter Punch published his article on the urgent need to refreeze the Arctic, based on discussions with PRAG chair John Nissen. In this video, Robert joins a dozen of us at PRAG to talk about why these issues do not get addressed through our political processes and what we can do to alert people to the problems.”
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