Adjustment of aerosol seasalt concentration: A preliminary look at technical strategies.

J.R.G.Evans, M.J.Edirsinghe and I.Ford

There is growing interest in the proposal by Latham [1] and Latham, Salter et al. [2] to increase the concentration of naturally lofted, seasalt cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) by atomisation of seawater in order to develop stable marine cloud cover and hence increase albedo. Such interest follows upon concerns that the introduction of technologies to reduce carbon emissions might not take effect in good time and that a “Plan B” is required. In a comparable proposal by Nobel Laureate Crutzen, the effect of volcanic activity is emulated by injecting sulphur compounds into the stratosphere [3]. Both are considered to cause cooling but the residence times differ; stratospheric inoculation lasting ~100Ms, seasalt injected into the stratosphere lasting ~0.5Ms.

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