Marine Cloud Brightening Could Mitigate Super El Niños, Study Finds

A study published in Science Advances suggests that marine cloud brightening, a form of geoengineering, could mitigate the effects of super El Niño events. Researchers used computer models to simulate the technique during the strong El Niños of 1997 and 2015, finding that early deployment could turn extreme events into neutral conditions. The approach involves spraying aerosols into low clouds over the southeast Pacific to increase their reflectivity, reducing sunlight absorption. Lead author Jessica Wan of the University of Chicago noted that the simulation neutralized the super El Niño. However, experts caution that the technology is not yet viable, with David Keith of the University of Chicago stating that the necessary technology does not exist. The study builds on observations that smoke from Australian bushfires (2019-2020) brightened clouds and produced La Niña-like effects. Co-author Kate Ricke of UC San Diego sees potential benefits worth exploring despite risks. The research was covered by Gizmodo, Science News, and CNN.