Patent Application
20110005422
One or more aspects of the present invention relate generally to cooling a planet and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for reducing the amount of heat received by the surface of the planet Earth from the sun.
The planet Earth is warming. There are many potential causes of the warming, including normal multi-year fluctuations in temperature, increased solar output, and increased greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere as a result of human activity. The increased global temperature may be responsible for loss of arable farmland to desertification, increases in the number and strength of hurricanes and other storms, species extinction, loss of polar ice caps and rising sea levels. These undesirable effects may lead to great loss of life and property. Methods for dealing with global warming, such as curbing greenhouse gas emissions, have been criticized as being economically unattractive. Other methods, such as sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, may be slow to take effect. Still others, such at launching large sun-shades into space, rely on a large number of rocket launches, that themselves may release additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
While some areas, such as deserts, may face problems from warming, other areas, such as polar regions, may benefit from warming. A preferred method for dealing with global warming would be geographically selective. Cooling may be preferred in summer rather than in winter. A preferred method for dealing with global warming would be seasonally selective.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a method to cool the planet in order to stop the undesirable effects of global warming. Because of the uncertainty over the underlying cause of the warming, a method of cooling the planet should be adjustable to changing conditions. Ideally, the cooling method should be adjustable to compensate for normal variations in temperature and climate. It should also be geographically adjustable to target cooling to critical areas, such as growing deserts or shrinking ice caps. The cooling method should work quickly and should not release additional greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, which might exacerbate the warming problem. The method should be economically feasible.
One aspect of the invention relates to increasing the amount of particulate matter in the upper atmosphere in order to prevent some solar radiation from reaching the surface of the planet, thereby cooling the planet or a region of the planet. Another aspect of the invention relates to scheduling and adjusting the injection of particles into the atmosphere in order to control the timing and amount of cooling.
An apparatus for cooling a planet comprises a source site and a first explosive located at the source site for generating a dust cloud and for generating an updraft to lift the dust cloud so that it persists in the atmosphere and blocks sunlight from reaching the planet. In some embodiments, an apparatus for cooling a planet further comprises a decision system and a measurement device.
A method for cooling a planet comprises selecting a source site, generating a dust cloud and generating an updraft at the source site. In some embodiments, the step of generating a dust cloud and generating an updraft comprise an explosion. In some embodiments, each comprises a separate action, which may be an explosion. Explosions may be caused by a nuclear explosive or by the impact of an asteroid or comet.
In some embodiments, an explosion lifts dust into the atmosphere and simultaneously creates a strong updraft that carries the dust into the upper atmosphere. Prevailing high-altitude winds spread dust the atmosphere to cover that part of the planet which is intended to be cooled. The amount of cooling is measured and the sequence may be repeated until the desired cooling is achieved. The explosion may be a nuclear explosion or may be caused by the impact of an asteroid.
The accompanying drawings show exemplary embodiments in accordance with one or more aspects of the invention. However, the accompanying drawings should not be taken to limit the invention to the embodiments shown, but are for explanation and understanding only.
Source site location 215 is a geographical position on the surface of the planet, typically characterized by a latitude and longitude and source site 211 comprises the air directly above the geographical location as well as a region directly below the surface of the planet at the geographical location.
Many criteria may be applied to select source site 211. Source site location may be on land or water. It may be chosen to be removed from populated areas or valuable property in order to minimize damage from the explosion. A safe distance may be ten kilometers. The material at the surface of the planet at the source site location may be fractured rock, the fracturing being accomplished by any means, including explosives or as a result of mining operations. The source site Imay contain material that is chemically useful for reflecting or absorbing solar radiation at the wavelength produced by the sun. Source site may comprise a volcanic region where hot magma (not shown) is located underground close enough to ground level that an explosion may expose it to air or water or release trapped gasses. Source site location may be the caldera of a volcano. The source site may be chosen for the elevation of the ground surface. A source site location at a high elevation may require less updraft to lift a dust cloud into the high-altitude winds 240. The size of the source site may be chosen to contain the explosion, but may be two miles in diameter.
Source site may intersect high-altitude winds 240 that blow in the direction of the target region 212, that part of the planet that is to be cooled. High-altitude winds 240 are typically twenty thousand to forty-five thousand feet above sea level, though terrain and seasonal variation may alter their altitude, strength and direction. Target region may be the entire planet, or may be limited to a smaller geographic area.
Measurement device 207 measures solar radiation that penetrates the atmosphere. Measurement device may measure temperature or light intensity or light spectrum along a path through the atmosphere 208. Measurement device may also measure wind speed and direction. A decision system 209 receives measurement data from the measurement device 207 and may send a signal to the explosive 219. If the measurement device indicates a sufficiently high planetary temperature or a sufficiently rising planetary temperature, and high-altitude winds are blowing toward the target area 212, the decision system may initiate the explosion. The decision system may include a manual enable switch to ensure that the explosion occurs only when a human operator determines that is safe.
A determination is made to cool a planet. The determination may be based on measurements of heat at the surface of the planet. To cool a planet, a source site is selected and an explosion is caused at the source site. The explosion may be caused by an explosive device such as a nuclear explosive. The subsequent explosion pulverizes material at the source site forming a dust cloud. The explosion may also cause an updraft, due to the heat of the explosion. The dust cloud is lifted by the updraft into the atmosphere. High-altitude winds may spread the dust cloud and carry the dust cloud over a target area to be cooled.
A single explosion may both generate the dust cloud and generate the updraft that lifts the dust cloud into the high-altitude winds. In other embodiments, the explosion serves only to create the updraft. In still other embodiments, separate explosions generate the dust cloud and the updraft.
The Northerly and Southerly motions of air cause collisions of air masses and global air circulation patterns. Over the equator, air generally rises in a natural updraft 520. Similarly, a weaker updraft is located at 60 degrees North and 60 degrees South latitude. An explosion at these latitudes may be able to take advantage of natural air circulation patterns to disperse dust clouds and cool the planet. Further, the Eastern and Western motions of the air permit selection of a source site some distance away from the target region to be cooled, which may reduce the risk to people and property in the target region from the explosion.
The orbits of asteroids can be determined with great accuracy. Asteroid Apophis will pass close to Earth in 2029. Shortly after its discovery, it was thought that Apophis would strike Earth, but this is now deemed highly unlikely. It may be desirable to use this opportunity to direct Apophis to strike Earth. Several methods for changing asteroid orbits have been proposed, including explosions on the surface of the asteroid; gravitational towing using a heavy spacecraft or long cables; differential heating with lasers, albedo changes or heat-generating reactions; and physical pushing using an impacting spacecraft or rock. These or other methods may be used to direct an asteroid to strike Earth and, by adjusting the asteroid's orbit, choose the location for the strike. By way of example, in
At step 720, an explosion is caused. The explosion is preferentially non-chemical, to reduce generation or carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gasses. The explosion may be nuclear or may be due to an asteroid impact at the source site. Other explosives, including chemical explosives may also be used and are considered to be within the scope of the invention. At optional step 722 a second explosion is caused to lift the dust cloud higher into the atmosphere.
At step 725 the dust cloud is permitted to spread over the target region.
Optional further steps refine the process. At step 730 a measurement is made of heat penetrating the dust cloud. The measurement may be a spectral measurement of light from the sun. The measurement may be a temperature measurement at the surface of the planet or at some representative altitude. The measurement may also be some effect of temperature, such as polar ice thickness. Other measurements are considered to be within the scope of the invention. Based on this measurement, a decision is made at step 735. If the cooling is sufficient, the process stops. If not, the process proceeds to step 710. Another explosion may be made at the same source site or at a different source site.
While many steps happen quickly, global warming is a slow process, so the time scale of the process in
Accordingly, the reader will see that, an explosion at a suitable source site can cool a planet.
While the foregoing describes exemplary embodiments in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention, other and further embodiments in accordance with the one or more aspects of the present invention may be devised without departing from the scope thereof, which is determined by the claims that follow and equivalents thereof. Claims listing steps do not imply any order of the steps. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
