Active Amplification of the Terrestrial Albedo to Mitigate Climate Change: An Exploratory Study
Robert M. Hamwey
Published December 19, 2005
Abstract
This study explores the potential to enhance the reflectance of solar insolation by the human settlement and grassland components of the Earth's terrestrial surface as a climate change mitigation measure. Preliminary estimates derived using a static radiative transfer model indicate that such efforts could amplify the planetary albedo enough to offset the current global annual average level of radiative forcing caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gases by as much as 30 percent or 0.76 W/m2. Terrestrial albedo amplification may thus extend, by about 25 years, the time available to advance the development and use of low-emission energy conversion technologies which ultimately remain essential to mitigate long-term climate change. However, additional study is needed to confirm the estimates reported here and to assess the economic and environmental impacts of active land-surface albedo amplification as a climate change mitigation measure.
Author comment
21 pages, 3 figures. In press with Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, NL
More in physics.ao-ph
- Future Climate Change Projections over the Indian RegionJ. Sanjay, R. Krishnan, M. V. S. Ramarao +8
- Impact of anthropogenic climate change on the East Asian summer monsoonClaire Burke, Peter Stott
- Precipitation extremes under climate changePaul A. O'Gorman
- A fractal climate response function can simulate global average temperature trends of the modern era and the past millenniumJ. H. van Hateren