Arctic geoengineering
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Arctic geoengineering is a type of climate engineering in which polar climate systems are intentionally manipulated to reduce the undesired impacts of climate change. As a proposed solution to climate change, arctic geoengineering is relatively new and has not been implemented on a large scale. It is based on the principle that Arctic albedo plays a significant role in regulating the Earth's temperature and that there are large-scale engineering solutions that can help maintain Earth's hemispheric albedo.[1] According to researchers, projections of sea ice loss, when adjusted to account for recent rapid Arctic shrinkage, indicate that the Arctic will likely be free of summer sea ice sometime between 2059 and 2078.[2] Advocates for Arctic geoengineering believe that climate engineering methods can be used to prevent this from happening.[2][better source needed]
Current proposed methods of arctic geoengineering include using sulfate aerosols to reflect sunlight,[citation needed] pumping water up to freeze on the surface, and using hollow glass microspheres to increase albedo. These methods are highly debated and have drawn criticism from some researchers, who argue that these methods may be ineffective, counterproductive, or produce unintended consequences.[3]