Antarctica's Ice Faces Irreversible Melting, Dimming the Sun Won't Help

New models suggest that geoengineering measures, such as dimming the Sun, are not enough to save Antarctica from ice collapse. The only effective solution is to rapidly decarbonize and stop burning fossil fuels. Dimming the Sun could delay the ice collapse, but only in combination with decarbonization and under moderate or low emissions pathways. Continued high greenhouse gas concentrations would require solar radiation management for centuries or even millennia, and sudden termination of sun-blocking strategies could lead to abrupt temperature increases and severe consequences. Furthermore, solar radiation management may have detrimental effects on regional weather patterns and fail to address the adverse effects of rising atmospheric CO2, such as ocean acidification. The research emphasizes the urgent need for decarbonization to prevent the long-term collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.