A recent study funded by @DegreesNGO, executed by @peteirvine & others aims "to assess the impact of #SAG on Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the Gulf of Guinea & its causes using GLENS simulations performed under high anthropogenic emission scenario (RCP8.5)."
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"Study focus on two dynamically different regions:
🔸Sassandra Upwelling in Côte d’Ivoire (SUC, located east of Cape Palmas)
🔸Takoradi Upwelling in Ghana (TUG, located east of Cape Three Points)" 2/8
Results show that "in the SUC region, under climate change, there is an increase in SST (referred to as the current climate) all year long (by 1.52 °C on average) mainly due to an < in net heat flux (lead by the > in longwave radiation) & also in weak vertical mixing." 3/8
"Under SAG, SST decreases all the seasonal cycle with its maximum in Dec (−0.4 °C) due to a reduction in the net heat flux (caused by a diminution of #SolarRadiation) & an increase in vertical advection (due to an increase in vertical temp. gradient & vertical velocity)." 4/8
"In the TUG region, under climate change, SST warming is a little more intense than in the SUC region and SST changes are driven by an increase in the net heat flux and strong stratification." 5/8
"The cooling of the SST in TUG is similar to the SUC region, but contrary to this region, the cooling
under SAG is not only explained by a decrease in the net heat flux but also by the remote forcing of
wind changes at the western equatorial Atlantic." 6/8
Read open access paper on "Impact of Stratospheric Geoengineering on Sea Surface
Temperature in the Northern Gulf of Guinea" ⬇️ mdpi.com/2225-1154/11/4…
🚨What if we could remove methane from the atmosphere—fast?🚨
A new study proposes two ways to use 𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 to destroy this powerful GHG: one with reactors, the other by releasing chlorine into the air. But one of these ideas comes with serious risks:🧵1/10
2/ Methane is a powerful but short-lived greenhouse gas, responsible for ~0.5°C of global warming. "It’s 80x more potent than CO₂ over 20 years," and its atmospheric levels continue to rise—despite global pledges to cut emissions.
3/ In nature, hydroxyl (OH) radicals break down methane, but the process is slow.
Chlorine (Cl) radicals can do the same job 16x faster, though they are far less abundant in atm—destroying only ~1-4% of methane today.
🚨🐺Scotland’s lost forests could rise again with the help of wolves🐺🚨
A new study finds that reintroducing these apex predators in the Scottish Highlands could restore wild woodlands & capture 𝟏 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐎₂ 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 (#CDR). Here’s how:🧵1/7
2/ The Scottish Highlands were once a land of towering pines and roaming wolves. But 250 years ago, wolves vanished—and with them, nature’s balance. Red deer, left unchecked, now number 400,000, grazing young trees before they can take root.
3/ Researchers modeled what would happen if wolves returned to the Cairngorms, the Central Highlands, and beyond.
Their findings? 167 wolves could reduce deer numbers enough for forests to regrow naturally—on a vast scale.
🚨☀Researchers have developed a reactor that pulls CO2 directly from the air and converts it into sustainable fuel, using sunlight as the power source—no fossil energy required.
#DirectAirCapture #CDR
DETAILS 🧵1/8
2/ Direct Air Capture is seen as a key tool to fight climate change. But current methods are costly, energy-intensive & require storing CO₂ underground, which has long-term risks. Meanwhile, most CO₂-to-fuel tech needs pure CO₂ and a lot of energy. This study changes that.
3/ Researchers developed a dual-bed flow reactor that captures CO₂ from the air and converts it into syngas (CO + H₂) using sunlight. Unlike other methods, it doesn’t need concentrated CO₂ or extreme heat. It captures, stores, and converts CO₂—all in one system.
🚨Many climate models assume large-scale Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (#BECCS) will help limit global warming. But a new study by @PIK_Climate shows that if we respect planetary boundaries, BECCS potential is far lower than expected. 🧵1/8
2/ BECCS involves planting fast-growing crops, burning them for energy, capturing the CO₂, and storing it underground. While this sounds like a promising carbon removal method, large-scale deployment could disrupt ecosystems and strain natural resources.
3/ The study looked at how much CO₂ BECCS could remove without crossing planetary boundaries (PB). It considered 4 key limits:
1⃣ Fertilizer (Nitrogen) use – Too much nitrogen harms soil & water
2⃣ Freshwater availability – BECCS needs water, but so do people & ecosystems