Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) is a proposed geoengineering technique designed to mitigate climate change. It involves spraying fine sea salt particles into...
MCB is a geoengineering technique that involves injecting sea salt aerosols into marine clouds to make them brighter and more reflective. The goal is to reflect more solar radiation away from Earth, thereby inducing a cooling effect.
By spraying tiny sea salt particles into low-lying marine clouds, these particles act as cloud condensation nuclei. This leads to the formation of more, smaller cloud droplets, making the clouds brighter and more effective at reflecting sunlight.
Potential benefits include localized cooling to protect vulnerable ecosystems like coral reefs from heat stress, and a temporary reduction in global temperatures to help slow down the impacts of climate change.
Key concerns include potential unintended shifts in regional weather patterns, ecological impacts, insufficient understanding of long-term effects, and complex ethical and governance challenges due to its global implications.