Abstract:

Solar geoengineering is a set of proposed approaches to cool atmospheric temperatures and reduce some impacts of climate change. To-date, modeling studies of solar geoengineering have primarily focused on large-scale schemes whose objective is to stabilize or mediate changes in global mean temperature. However, global proposals pose substantial governance challenges, potentially making regional interventions tailored toward targeted climate outcomes potentially more attractive in the near-term. In this talk, I’ll present results from three Earth System modeling studies in which we attempted to “geoengineer” via teleconnections, applying targeted interventions over the ocean to induce remote regional climate effects over land. I conclude by discussing future areas of geoengineering research for which regional considerations will be of first order importance to physical, social and policy processes.