DistantNews
Support us
🇳🇮 Nicaragua /Environment & Climate

Whitening clouds could curb El Niño, study suggests

From Confidencial · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Documents & data Context piece
  • A study suggests that selectively whitening marine clouds could theoretically mitigate an emerging El Niño.
  • This geoengineering technique involves spraying seawater into the atmosphere to make clouds brighter.
  • While potentially effective at the onset of El Niño, the method might have unforeseen consequences for La Niña conditions.

A novel geoengineering approach, involving the selective whitening of marine clouds, could theoretically offer a way to curb the onset of an El Niño phenomenon, according to a recent study. The technique focuses on the southeastern Pacific Ocean.

Researchers based their findings on sophisticated models, suggesting that if applied early in the development of an El Niño event, this cloud-brightening method might succeed in attenuating its intensity. The process involves spraying fine seawater particles into the atmosphere, which increases cloud reflectivity.

However, the study also issues a cautionary note. While the intervention might temper El Niño, it could potentially trigger adverse and unpredictable effects on the subsequent La Niña phase. This highlights the complex and interconnected nature of global climate patterns and the potential risks associated with large-scale climate interventions.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Confidencial in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog