Technology-Enhanced Atmospheric Moistening (TEAM) for More Precipitation: A Perspective

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new method called TEAM to increase regional precipitation by enhancing atmospheric moisture, aiming to address freshwater scarcity.

Contribution

The novel contribution is the proposal of Technology-Enhanced Atmospheric Moistening (TEAM) as a potential solution for large-scale freshwater generation.

Findings

TEAM can increase regional precipitation by reducing the atmospheric lifting needed for cloud formation.

Seven coastal evaporation source locations are identified for potential TEAM implementation.

TEAM is compared with desalination, cloud seeding, and forestation for precipitation enhancement.

Abstract

Large-scale freshwater
production solutions can alleviate freshwater
scarcity and support ecosystem restoration. In this perspective, we
propose Technology-Enhanced Atmospheric Moistening (TEAM) to increase
regional precipitation, such as rain and snow, and boost large-scale
freshwater availability. By enhancing moisture in the atmosphere,
TEAM reduces the amount of atmospheric lifting needed for cloud formation.
TEAM can be implemented through spray or solar evaporation technologies,
each with their own challenges and opportunities. Using atmospheric
moisture flows between evaporation sources and precipitation sinks,
we estimate where coastal evaporation from seven source locations
may result in precipitation. This is a starting point for the identification
of areas with high and low TEAM precipitation enhancement potential.
Then, we discuss the position of TEAM in the larger field of technologies
for enhancing freshwater supply where we compare TEAM with desalination
through reverse osmosis, cloud seeding, and forestation for precipitation
enhancement. Further research should focus on (1) quantifying the
potential for precipitation generation by enhanced atmospheric moistening,
(2) developing technologies that can supply this moisture to the atmosphere,
and (3) interdisciplinary regional design. With further research and
development, we believe that TEAM can contribute to large-scale freshwater
generation.

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