The plan includes injecting 5 million tons of diamond particles into the atmosphere. If all goes as planned, this could reduce global temperatures by 1.6 degrees Celsius, a significant number, especially considering that the world may have already exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement.
In the study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the group of scientists used 3D climate models to compare which aerosols could be used to cool the planet.
Stratospheric aerosol injection involves sending huge numbers of fine particles or aerosols into the stratosphere – the second layer of the atmosphere in order to deflect sunlight and create a cooling effect that either slows or reverses global warming.
Some scientists have previously proposed deploying millions of devices that pull carbon from the air, which can then be sequestered. But this may come with a host of climate-related risks. In fact, injecting sulfur particles into the air may have the opposite effect and warm the stratosphere.
The second candidate was sulfur dioxide. Because it is released naturally into the atmosphere by volcanoes, scientists have a pretty good idea what would happen if humans started injecting it artificially, as it could cause acid rain around the world. It could also damage the ozone layer, likely disrupting weather patterns in the lower atmosphere.
In the new study, scientists wondered what type of material could be safely used as a way to cool the planet.
To find out, they built a 3D climate model that showed the effect of adding aerosols to the atmosphere. The program also included the effects of aerosols made up of different materials in the atmosphere, such as the reflection of light and heat, how the aerosols eventually settle to the ground, and whether they will clump in the atmosphere and retain more heat.
The team developed a 3D model to simulate the effect of injecting seven candidates: calcite, diamond, aluminum, silicon carbide, anatase, rutile, and sulfur dioxide.
The model showed that sulfur dioxide was the worst performer, while diamonds came out on top. Through simulations, diamond aerosols have proven to be the best, as the particles reflect the most light and heat, remain in the air for a reasonable amount of time, and are less likely to clump.
The researchers point out that because they are chemically inert, these particles are unlikely to react to form acid rain.
The model suggested that injecting 5 million tons of synthetic diamond dust into the atmosphere annually could cool the Earth by 1.6 degrees Celsius within 45 years, but the downside of this solution is the huge cost, amounting to about $ 200 trillion.
Source: iflscience
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