On May 11, 1944, 363 U.S. Army Air Force B-24 Liberators and 536 other military planes launched into the air over southeast England. After joining into a massive formation, they flew to Nazi-controlled France to bomb marshalling yards. Their efforts impacted the outcome of the war. But they may have impacted something else as well…the local weather via geoengineering.
Geoengineering during World War II?
Two days ago, Fox News reported that the May 11 Allied bombing raid may have inadvertently altered that day’s weather. It is an early unintended example of something that scientists now call geoengineering, or climate engineering.
Essentially, the aircraft filled the sky with contrails, or condensation trails. These trails “are produced when hot moist air from engine exhausts hits colder air in the atmosphere.” They take the form of long thin clouds that trail after the plane.
After analyzing historical weather data from various stations, researchers from Lancaster University and the Environmental Agency in the United Kingdom discovered that areas under the contrails experienced slower temperature growth on May 11, 1944, to the tune of two degrees Fahrenheit. They believe that this can be explained by the contrails creating an enormous cloud cover that reflected sunlight away from the ground.
Geoengineering & Global Warming?
Geoengineering advocates wish to do something similar in order to deal with the perceived threat from global warming. Some scientists propose that a fleet of planes deposit sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere. These particles would reflect sunlight and perhaps, lower global temperatures. This most recent study indicates that small-scale geoengineering might have the desired effect on regional temperatures.
Guerrilla Explorer’s Analysis
However, geoengineering remains highly controversial and, in my opinion, with good reason. It is an attempt to duplicate the effects of an enormous volcanic eruption. The ultimate impact on the stratosphere, weather patterns, and ecosystems would be unpredictable…maybe even catastrophic.