Can we prevent climate destabilization in the Arctic?
The Arctic Stabilization Initiative (ASI) produces the evidence needed to assess whether Arctic-targeted climate interventions are safe, effective, and feasible.
Several of its core systems are now approaching critical thresholds.
ASI investigates whether regionally-targeted interventions could help stabilize them.
How the program works
What we do
A portfolio approach
Directed and time-bound
Stage-gated
Mixed-Phase Cloud Thinning (MCT)
About 60% of Arctic clouds contain both ice crystals and liquid water droplets.
Serving as both a blanket and a sun shade, these mixed-phase clouds tend to warm the sea ice surface for most of the year.
When mixed-phase clouds trap heat, seeding them to trigger ice formation could thin or dissipate them, allowing heat to escape to space.
Our timeline
A 5-year program in four phases, each ending in a decision gate. At each decision gate, we determine whether a candidate intervention advances to the next phase or is deprioritized so that resources can be reallocated to other promising interventions. The program concludes by delivering formal scientific benchmarks and modeling tools to the public institutions, multilateral bodies, and Indigenous Rights holders that this evidence is meant to serve.
If multiple independent lines of evidence converge in support of MCT, ASI delivers its formal scientific benchmarks, a fit-for-purpose modeling approach, and synthesis findings to the institutions and rights-holders this work is meant to serve. If the evidence does not converge, or converges against MCT, ASI deprioritizes MCT and reallocates resources to other promising, underresourced candidate
Open Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
We advance the research needed to assess the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of Arctic-targeted climate interventions.
Why reversibility matters in climate intervention
New instrumentation reveals how clouds respond to perturbation
Observing the Arctic clouds at scale
New instrumentation reveals how clouds respond to perturbation
Why reversibility matters in climate intervention
New instrumentation reveals how clouds respond to perturbation
Observing the Arctic clouds at scale
New instrumentation reveals how clouds respond to perturbation
Coming soon!
Our team
Charlotte DeWald
Charlotte DeWald is an atmospheric scientist specializing in ice-nucleating particles, the rare aerosols that trigger cloud ice formation, influencing precipitation and the Earth's radiative balance. She holds a Ph.D. in Climate Science from Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Ryan O'Donnell
A former U.S. diplomat and disaster response leader, Ryan spent a decade working in disaster-preparedness and response operations, as well as co-designing climate resilience initiatives with Indigenous Peoples. He leads ASI’s engagement with Indigenous Peoples, whose lands are directly affected by Arctic climate risks, and the governments and multilateral institutions whose partnership is needed for successful initiatives.
Scientific Advisory Board
The Scientific Advisory Board is an independent group of scientists who advise on ASI's research strategy. Its members bring expertise across Arctic clouds, aerosol–cloud interactions, modeling, and observations. They help align ASI's research with the evidence each stage gate requires.
Dr. Matthew Shupe
Senior Research Scientist, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado and NOAA
Dr. Christina McCluskey
Scientist V, The National Center for Atmospheric Research
.webp)
Dr. Graham Feingold
Research Scientist, NOAA
Our Guiding Principles
Research as a Responsibility
Decarbonization and carbon removal remain crucial but are insufficient on their own to address near-term Arctic destabilization risks due to processes already underway as a result of carbon buildup. In this context, it is imperative to research the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of climate stabilization interventions.
Indigenous Partnership
Arctic science has too often proceeded without the consent of, or benefit to, Indigenous Peoples. ASI works to redefine that relationship, engaging Indigenous Peoples early, substantively, and as rights-holders in their ancestral lands. We treat free, prior, and informed consent as a precondition for field research and dedicate significant resources to Indigenous-defined priorities through our Indigenous Resilience and Rights fund, which operates independent of ASI's research operations.
Evidence before advancement
We begin with what existing data and models can tell us about the physical processes involved, advancing predictive understanding where possible. Where decision-critical uncertainties remain, we ask what new observations or modeling efforts could resolve them. We iteratively revisit the remaining uncertainties before asking whether a small-scale experiment is warranted. Any such experiment requires IOC approval.
Want to apply, partner, or follow our work?
Whether you are a scientist, Indigenous leader, funder, or policy maker, we want to work together.
