Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.
University of Rostock

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 20 October 2006:
Vol. 314. no. 5798, p. 381
DOI: 10.1126/science.314.5798.381e
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

This Week in Science

Rising concentrations of atmospheric CO2 will have two main impacts, those of global warming and acidification of the oceans. It is unclear whether anthropogenic CO2 emissions can be reduced quickly enough to avoid potentially damaging consequences, and one alternative is that we "geoengineer" climate in order to mitigate some of the damaging effects of atmospheric CO2 buildup. Wigley (p. 452, published online 14 September; see the news story by Kerr) explores one option--injecting sulfate aerosol precursors into the stratosphere, which would increase the number of aerosol particles that can function as cloud condensation nuclei and increase cloud coverage, as is the case after large volcanic eruptions like that of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The net effect would be to reflect more sunlight back into space, but this approach would have no positive influence on ocean acidification.




ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)