Can solar radiation modification prevent a future collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet?
The stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is uncertain on a rapidly warming planet. Geoengineering through solar radiation modification could halt global warming and potentially delay the demise of the ice sheet. But in high-greenhouse-gas-emission scenarios, collapse of the ice sheet ensues despite such intervention. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription $29.99 / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access $209.00 per year only $17.42 per issue Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from$1.95 to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Armstrong Mckay, D. I. et al. Exceeding 1.5°C global warming could trigger multiple climate tipping points. Science 377, eabn7950 (2022). A review article that presents potential thresholds for various tipping elements in the physical Earth system. Bamber, J. L. et al. Reassessment of the potential sea-level rise from a collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Science 324, 901–903 (2009). This paper presents refined estimates of the sea-level rise following a complete WAIS collapse. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Reflecting Sunlight: Recommendations for Solar Geoengineering Research and Research Governance (The National Academies Press, 2021). A consensus study report with recommendations for geoengineering research. Jones, A. C. et al. Regional climate impacts of stabilizing global warming at 1.5 K using solar geoengineering. Earth’s Future 6, 230–251 (2018). This paper reports the impact of large-scale stratospheric aerosol injections on global climate patterns and temperatures. Irvine, P. J., Keith, D. W. & Moore, J. Brief communication: understanding solar geoengineering’s potential to limit sea level rise requires attention from cryosphere experts. Cryosphere 12, 2501–2513 (2018). This paper highlights the need to study the impact of solar geoengineering. Additional information Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This is a summary of: Sutter, J. et al. Climate intervention on a high-emissions pathway could delay but not prevent West Antarctic Ice Sheet demise. Nat. Clim. Change https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01738-w(2023). Rights and permissions About this article Cite this article Can solar radiation modification prevent a future collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet?. Nat. Clim. Chang. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01739-9 Published: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01739-9
Related Knowledge Center: Climate: geoengineering
As the threat of climate change has gone from theoretical to apparent, proposals for a more aggressive attempt at mitigation through geoengineering have gained currency in some scientific corners, drawn skepticism or outright opposition in others. Prospects for geoengineering would likely improve in inverse proportion to prospects for nations to hit their emissions targets to slow, then reverse the warming of the planet.