A Numerical Modeling Study on the Earth’s Surface Brightening Effect of Cirrus Thinning

Abstract

Cirrus thinning, as one kind of geoengineering approach, not only cools our planet but also enhances the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface (brightening effect). This study delves into the brightening effect induced by cirrus thinning with a flexible seeding method. The thinning of cirrus clouds alone leads to a considerable globally averaged cooling effect (−2.46 W m−2), along with a notable globally averaged brightening effect (2.19 W m−2). Cirrus thinning also results in substantial reductions in the cloud radiative effects of the lower mixed-phase and liquid clouds. While these reductions counteract the cooling effect from cirrus clouds, they enhance the brightening effect from cirrus clouds. Consequently, the brightening effect caused by cirrus seeding (4.69 W m−2) is considerably stronger than its cooling effect (−1.21 W m−2). Furthermore, due to the more pronounced changes from the mixed-phase and liquid clouds at low and mid-latitudes, the cooling effect is primarily concentrated at high latitudes. In contrast, the brightening effect is stronger over most low- and mid-latitude regions. Overall, cirrus thinning could lead to a notable brightening effect, which can be leveraged to offset the dimming effect (the opposite of the brightening effect) of other geoengineering approaches.