Refreezing the Arctic
The loss of Arctic sea ice is a global issue. The bright white ice reflects solar radiation back into space, cooling the planet. As it gets warmer, the reflective ice is replaced by dark ocean water that absorbs the sun’s rays. It’s a doom loop - global warming accelerates melting, and the melting accelerates global warming.
Rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to reduce global warming, protect Arctic sea ice, and limit the associated effects of climate change. However, many are concerned that current global pledges to decarbonise will not prevent the planet from exceeding 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, the limit set out in the Paris Agreement at COP21.
There are various Earth cooling approaches that could prevent catastrophic temperature increases and protect vulnerable regions like the Arctic, as society continues to decarbonise. Although the ideas are well-studied through modelling, there has yet to be significant outdoor experimentation to test real-world impacts.
Our researchers are part of international teams investigating methods to cool the Earth. Through modelling and controlled, small-scale outdoor experiments, they are assessing a range of climate interventions to build a knowledge-base for informed decision-making.
Our research & collaborations
Sea ice thickening
Field trials and modelling of approaches to thicken Arctic sea ice - to potentially slow summer melt, reduce Arctic warming, and mitigate further ice loss.
Marine cloud brightening
Brightening marine clouds using seawater to enhance their reflectivity and reduce sunlight warming the oceans.
Stratospheric aerosol injection
Testing materials and technology that could be used in the stratosphere to reflect sunlight back into space.
Public perceptions
Using big data, researchers are studying public perceptions of solar geoengineering and mapping connections to related issues and ideologies. Topics include conspiracy spillovers, political ideology, and attention.
Participatory governance
This research looks at participatory mechanisms and the role they play in the construction of a fair governance framework for solar geoengineering technologies.