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| Titel |
Atmospheric responses to stratospheric aerosol geoengineering |
| VerfasserIn |
Angus Ferraro, Eleanor Highwood, Andrew Charlton-Perez |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2013
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 15 (2013) |
| Datensatznummer |
250071997
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Stratospheric aerosol geoengineering, also called solar radiation management (SRM), involves the injection of aerosol into the stratosphere to increase the planetary albedo. It has been conceieved as a policy option in response to human-induced global warming. It is well-established from modelling studies and observations following volcanic eruptions that stratospheric sulphate aerosols cause global cooling. Some aspects of the climate response, especially those involving large-scale dynamical changes, are more uncertain. This work attempts to identify the physical mechanisms operating in the climate response to stratospheric aerosol geoengineering using idealised model experiments.
The radiative forcing produced by the aerosol depends on its type (species) and size. Aerosols absorb terrestrial and solar radiation, which drives stratospheric temperature change. The stratospheric temperature change also depends on aerosol type and size. We calculate the stratospheric temperature change due to geoengineering with sulphate, titania, limestone and soot in a fixed-dynamical-heating radiative model. Sulphate produces tropical heating of up to ~6 K. Titania produces much less heating, whereas soot produces much more. Most aerosols increase the meridional temperature gradient in the lower stratosphere which, by thermal wind balance, would be expected to intensify the zonal winds in the polar vortex.
An intermediate-complexity general circulation model is used to investigate the dynamical response to geoengineering aerosols. Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are quadrupled. The carbon dioxide forcing is then balanced using stratospheric sulphate aerosol. We assess dynamical changes in the stratosphere, for example, the frequency of stratospheric sudden warmings and the strength of the Brewer-Dobson overturning circulation. We also assess changes in the strength and position of the tropospheric jets. We compare results for sulphate with those for titania. |
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