Mixed phase cloud thinning - Villanueva

31/05/2025 38 min

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Episode Synopsis

Diego Villanueva discusses his paper on mixed-phase regime cloud thinning (MCT). This geoengineering approach involves using ice-nucleating particles to reduce the heat-trapping effects of polar clouds.Using climate and cloud-resolving models, the study finds MCT could offset up to 25% of polar ocean warming from CO₂ doubling and increase sea ice by 8% in the Arctic and 14% in Antarctica. In the podcast, we discuss the science behind this method, its potential benefits, limitations, and broader implications. Paper: Villanueva, D., Possner, A., Neubauer, D., Gasparini, B., Lohmann, U., & Tesche, M. (2022). Mixed-phase regime cloud thinning could help restore sea ice. Environmental Research Letters, 17(11), 114057. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aca16d