Sorooshian Aids New Research to Slow Global Warming

Armin Sorooshian, CHEE professor and University Distinguished Scholar, is part of a group of leading atmospheric scientists that has offered a consensus research roadmap to evaluating a method of artificially shading Earth’s surface to slow global warming.

With marine cloud brightening, or MCB, scientists inject salt spray into shallow marine clouds to brighten them, increasing their reflection of sunlight and reducing the amount of heat absorbed by the water below. Their plan is described in a paper published in Science Advances. The lead agency is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For decades, studies have shown that aerosol emissions from oceangoing ships can – under some conditions – brighten low-hanging clouds, which leads to a cooling effect, according to Sorooshian.

“Hopefully, this fact can promote more research into MCB so we can learn more about its feasibility for solar radiation management and understand especially how its potential application can alter regional temperature and precipitation patterns,” said Sorooshian, who holds joint appointments in the College of Science, the Wyant College and the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

Learn more about Sorooshian's research efforts in MCB here.