NASA scientists have unveiled an ambitious strategy to combat climate change by dispersing ice in the atmosphere.

The method would involve sending high-altitude planes flying 58,000 feet above the surface, 20,000 feet above the altitude of commercial airliners, which would spray ice particles into the upper atmosphere.

According to the design, the ice will freeze the water thus removing the water vapor before it turns into greenhouse gas emissions, which trap heat from escaping into space, ultimately increasing temperatures on Earth.

The ice particles would freeze the water, which would then fall back to Earth, removing excess water vapor and dehydrating the stratosphere where the water turns into a heat-trapping gas.

The project is a collaboration betweenof NASA and the N National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The idea of ​​drying out the upper atmosphere is the latest addition to what some scientists are calling a last-ditch solution to climate change by interfering with the world’s atmosphere or oceans.

Known as geoengineering, it is often dismissed because of potential side effects and is usually used to cut emissions rather than as an alternative to reducing carbon pollution.

Joshua Schwarz, a NOAA physicist who is the lead author, said, “This is not something we can implement yet. It’s about exploring what can be done in the future, but also where we can direct research.”

Schwarz noted that the efforts will not neutralize the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) and will only cool the atmosphere by 1/70, which is equal to the amount of heat we get from CO2.

The NASA and NOAA plan is for the region just below the stratosphere.

This region is where air rises slowly along with water vapor. According to NASA, water vapor is what causes the Earth’s greenhouse gas and is half responsible for the planet’s greenhouse effect.

As temperatures rise on our planet, so does the amount of evaporation from water and land areas.
“The water vapor then absorbs the heat radiated from the Earth and prevents it from escaping into space,” NASA said.

“This further warms the atmosphere, causing even more water vapor to be released into the atmosphere.”

The team believes the area to implement the plan will be the Western Pacific Cold Spot (WCP) – a region of the atmosphere roughly the size of Australia.

The region was chosen because water vapor typically enters the stratosphere through upward convection across the tropopause – the boundary that separates the troposphere from the stratosphere – in the Tropics.