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Marine Cloud Brightening Could Significantly Reduce El Niño Effects

4/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) find marine cloud brightening could reduce the El Niño Southern Oscillation's amplitude by about 61%.
Stratospheric aerosol injection shows minimal ENSO impact because its effects are distributed more broadly in the atmosphere.
The study notes that different geoengineering methods may achieve similar global temperature goals but produce varying regional changes.
The findings underscore the need for careful evaluation of potential consequences before deployment.

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Story summary

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) find marine cloud brightening could reduce the El Niño Southern Oscillation's amplitude by about 61%.
Stratospheric aerosol injection shows minimal ENSO impact because its effects are distributed more broadly in the atmosphere.
The study notes that different geoengineering methods may achieve similar global temperature goals but produce varying regional changes.
The findings underscore the need for careful evaluation of potential consequences before deployment.