Scientists' plan to halt rare El Niño heatwave may trigger something unstoppable

Key Points:

• Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have proposed a controversial geoengineering method called marine cloud brightening to potentially stop a Super El Niño, which is expected to impact global weather through 2027.
• Marine cloud brightening involves spraying particles into clouds to reflect sunlight and cool temperatures, but its effectiveness and risks, including the potential to trigger an extreme La Niña, remain uncertain.
• Experts warn of "termination shock," a rapid temperature rise if geoengineering efforts suddenly stop, which could force continuous intervention and lead to unintended, possibly severe climate consequences.
• The technique has not been tested on a large scale, with many unanswered questions about particle size, quantity, and overall viability, leaving scientists cautious about deploying such technology soon.
• While the approach may weaken El Niño impacts, fears of disastrous unintended effects have led researchers to rely on natural experiments and climate modeling rather than immediate geoengineering implementation.