(KRON) — The USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum in Alameda became the hub for a group of researchers attempting to combat climate change.  Last month, researchers from the University of Washington started shooting sea salt particles– otherwise known as aerosols– into the sky to reflect sunlight away from the Earth.  Researchers aren’t entirely sure yet, but they believe doing so can slow or even reverse the effects of climate change.  This was the first cloud-brightening experiment ever conducted in North America and the second experiment conducted worldwide.  They’re calling the project the Marine Cloud Brightening Program (MCB). Prescribed burning planned at Mount Diablo State Park THE STUDY Despite promises about reducing harmful emissions, climate assessment reports show that even with mitigation, our climate will still be warming for decades.  As a result, scientists are exploring other options of reducing climate change through technology, otherwise known as solar radiation modification.  In 1987, scientists realized sea water being sprayed back into the atmosphere through ship tracks significantly increased the reflectivity of a cloud, hence preserving the earth’s temperature.  With that in mind, scientists chose Alameda’s USS Hornet as the hub for the MCB and named it the Coastal Atmospheric Aerosol Research and Engagement (CAARE) facility.  “In this way, there are very few facilities in the world like it,” the University of Washington said on its MCB website. Researchers say the studies involve intermittent brief releases of sea salt particles, generally for 5-10 minutes (max 30 minutes) “a few times a day, a few days a week, during different seasons of the year,” MCB said.  THE CONCERN California Highway Patrol introduces 8 new canine teams The idea of halting global warming might sound ideal, but scientists say the feat comes with its unique set of hurdles. The practice could change ocean circulation patterns or drive unexpected weather—which could, in turn, impact fisheries or farms.  As a result, scientists leading the experiment agree that curbing fossil fuel emissions—rather than sending additional particles into the atmosphere—is the best course of action. “There is a lack of adequate tools to assess how small-scale perturbations to cloud brightness might affect larger-scale circulations and the extent to which these might contribute to regional changes in precipitation and radiative forcing of the climate. Furthermore, the timescales of these feedbacks are poorly quantified,” the US Department of Energy said in a 2022 report concerning UCB.  The study follows the termination of a Harvard University experiment in April that planned to inject reflective aerosols into the air near Sweden before it was canceled after receiving criticism from Indigenous groups. Improving our understanding of the influence of aerosols on clouds and climate is essential to understanding near-term climate risks, and whether and how marine cloud brightening could help reduce them. If we don’t improve our knowledge now, we’ll be flying blind. The international community needs the best information it can get in order to chart a responsible course into a future with a rapidly changing climate. Atmospheric Scientist and UW MCB Program Director Sarah Doherty The CAARE facility will run through the end of May, according to a weather modification form the team filed with federal regulators.