Title: Prospects for Regional Geoengineering

Abstract: Solar geoengineering is a set of proposed approaches to cool atmospheric temperatures and reduce some impacts of climate change. To-date, modeling studies of solar geoengineering have primarily focused on large-scale schemes whose objective is to stabilize or mediate changes in global mean temperature. However, global proposals pose substantial governance challenges, potentially making regional interventions tailored toward targeted climate outcomes potentially more attractive in the near-term. In this talk, I'll present results from Earth System modeling studies in which we attempted to “geoengineer” via teleconnections, applying targeted interventions over the ocean to induce remote regional climate effects over land. I conclude by discussing future areas of geoengineering research for which regional considerations will be of first order importance to physical, social and policy processes.

Biography

Kate Ricke is an Associate Professor and the Edward A. Frieman Endowed Presidential Chair in Climate Sustainability at University of California San Diego. She is an interdisciplinary climate scientist who combines methods from the physical climate sciences, including Earth System Modeling and analysis of environmental observations, with methods from decision theory and risk analysis. Her work focuses on a range of climate science and policy topics, including the science and global risk governance of climate geoengineering.