On July 8, 2026, researchers from UC San Diego published a study in Science Advances exploring whether geoengineering could help mitigate the effects of impending "super" El Niños. The study considers using weather-altering techniques to address the severe weather impacts associated with these climate events, such as floods and extreme heat.
Geoengineering as a Response to Climate Variability
The study led by Kate Ricke and Jessica Wan at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography highlights the potential of geoengineering methods like marine cloud brightening. This approach could be particularly valuable in light of past natural events, such as the Australian bushfires of 2019 and 2020, which inadvertently demonstrated the effects of aerosol emissions on cloud behavior.
During these bushfires, smoke filled with reflective aerosols enhanced cloud brightness, leading to La Niña-like weather patterns. This natural experiment prompted researchers to question how similar techniques could be applied intentionally to mitigate the impacts of future El Niños.
The Case for Targeted Geoengineering
According to the authors, targeting natural variability through geoengineering could offer a viable solution for mitigating extreme weather events. They argue that this method could reduce physical risks without necessitating long-term, continuous deployment. "Such an approach could result in similar physical risk reduction with shorter duration interventions that carry less sociotechnical risk than a sustained deployment," the authors stated.
