Another issue is physical distribution. The ships, as per Stephen's design, are intended to roam unsupported for long periods of time. Resupply will therefore be a challenge.
Will the addition of iron salts into the droplets have any impact, as per the iron salt aerosols geoengineering method? I understand that very poorly. My instinct is that distribution of iron into the mixed layer will be sufficient. It is only lost slowly by mixing into deeper layers, and most losses will be by marine snow or incorporation into the marine food chain. One issue with iron enhancement is that it will serve to strip macronutrients from the ocean surface, in marine snow. This may have undesirable long term effects. Andrew Lockley On 14 Nov 2017 09:54, "David Sevier" <[email protected]> wrote: > The levels of dissolved salts required are expected to be three and > possibly four orders of magnitude less than the dissolved salts in salt > water. Thus it is highly unlikely that that this level of dissolved extra > salts will impact in any way upon droplet formation. > > > > *From:* Andrew Lockley [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* 13 November 2017 19:16 > *To:* David Sevier > *Cc:* Stephen Salter; geoengineering; Stuart Haszeldine > *Subject:* Re: [geo] modification to cloud whitening process > > > > The materials volumes of the sprays are very small and the concentrations > needed to effect biological changes may substantially impact droplet > formation and CCN properties > > > > A > > > > On 13 Nov 2017 19:01, "David Sevier" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > I have been considering how the base technology (the equipment that sprays > the salt water to whiten the clouds) that underpins Dr Salter’s cloud > whitening geo-engineering could be used in different and new ways. I > believe that I have hit upon a modification to the base technology that may > prove to be quite important and very useful. > > *Proposed Modification to Cloud Whitening * > > Into the intake line feeding the spray equipment (this is the low pressure > side), inject either dissolved solutions / fine suspensions of key marine > nutrients such as iron, phosphate and silicate that limit growth in the top > few centimetres of the ocean surface away from the continental shelves. The > nutrients will be delivered to the clouds and will later fall as rain and > deliver the dilute (i.e. the level that micro plants require) nutrients to > the ocean surface. The proposed method avoids delivering nutrients in high > concentration from a dragged point and then requiring currents and waves to > disperse nutrients. The proposed method, because it uses wind, rain and > weather, will deliver nutrients across wide areas of ocean surface*. In > essence I am suggesting converting the equipment for cloud whitening into a > very efficient method for delivering marine nutrients across wide areas > that will be significantly better than alternative methods. T*his > solution directly address the problem of spreading marine nutrients that if > often cited as a drawback in reference to ocean fertilization The > modification should be relatively inexpensive and simple to make as it is > little more than using a low pressure pump to continuously inject into a > flowing line. > > *Potential Advantages* > > Relatively few spray assemblies should be able fertilize very large areas > of ocean. Land based installations (which will cost less to build and > operate) on remote islands such as Easter Island will be able to deliver > nutrients to large areas of ocean. Overall the ability to deliver nutrients > across wide areas of the ocean surface for low cost and with reduced > logistic problems should improve the opportunities for ocean > fertilization. > > *Some Discussion* > > The modification of cloud whitening as I have outlined, blurs the lines > between solar radiation management and enhanced direct carbon capture. It > is both and should improve the interest in and need to further develop Dr > Salter’s cloud whitening technology. > > One further point that seems worth of mention: many of the ocean > ecosystems are near collapse due to overfishing driven by the rising world > population. This is a large problem that urgently needs a solution. It is > likely that increasing the deep ocean surface water productivity by > fertilization will lead to greater fish stocks in the areas where fishing > tends to be poor at present. Potentially this may give a much needed safety > valve to overfished areas and allow these areas to recover. Some I expect > will cite increased fish stocks in areas that are nutrient poor as changing > ecosystems and hold this as a reason for not considering ocean > fertilization. I would point out that we are already very severely > modifying coastal ecosystems by overfishing. Reversing this by increasing > deep water fish stocks is the better option. Ultimately the world > population has to be fed. > > > > David Sevier > > Carbon Cycle Limited > > 248 Sutton Common Road > <https://maps.google.com/?q=248+Sutton+Common+Road+Sutton,+Surrey+SM3+9PW+England&entry=gmail&source=g> > > Sutton, Surrey SM3 9PW > <https://maps.google.com/?q=248+Sutton+Common+Road+Sutton,+Surrey+SM3+9PW+England&entry=gmail&source=g> > > England > <https://maps.google.com/?q=248+Sutton+Common+Road+Sutton,+Surrey+SM3+9PW+England&entry=gmail&source=g> > > Tel 44 (0)208 288 0128 > > Fax 44 (0)208-288 0129 > > www.carbon-cycle.co.uk > > > > This email is private and confidential > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "geoengineering" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > > > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> > > Virus-free. www.avg.com > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. 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