Written by Anupam

Eco Factor: Aerosol-enriched clouds could fight global warming.

Researchers from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have detected that rising steam from passing ships in shipping lanes has caused brightening in the clouds, which according to the research team can prevent the sun’s energy from reaching the Earth effectively, which could be used as a defense against global warming.

Research into clouds in shipping lanes showed that natural or man-made addition of particles of dirt, water and gas knows as aerosols can alter the characteristics of clouds by increasing the number of droplets while decreasing their size. These droplets reflect more sunlight and make the clouds seem brighter.

While the aerosols currently affecting clouds in shipping lanes are expelled from ships as steam, machines could be built to simulate the effect by spraying seawater into the air. The research team is also exploring the best time of the day to spray for maximum defense.

Source: http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/pnnl-researchers-think-of-brighter-clouds-as-a-global-warming-solution/

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