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Stratospheric aerosol particles and solar-radiation management

Nature Climate Change volume 2, pages 713–719 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

The deliberate injection of particles into the stratosphere has been suggested as a possible geoengineering scheme to mitigate the global warming aspect of climate change. Injected particles scatter solar radiation back to space and thus reduce the radiative balance of Earth. Previous studies investigating this scheme have focused primarily on sulphuric acid particles to mimic volcanic injections of stratospheric aerosol. However, the composition and size of volcanic sulphuric acid particles are far from optimal for scattering solar radiation. We show that aerosols with other compositions, such as minerals, could be used to dramatically increase the amount of light scatter achieved on a per mass basis, thereby reducing the particle mass required for injection. The chemical consequences of injecting such particles into the stratosphere are discussed with regard to the fate of the ozone layer. Research questions are identified with which to assess the feasibility of such geoengineering schemes.

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Figure 1: The stratospheric injection of particles will perturb the atmospheric radiative budget and the chemistry of the atmosphere.
Figure 2: Change in Bond albedo from a 1-km-thick stratospheric layer of aerosol whose size distribution is log-normal and whose volume fraction is held constant (equivalent to one 1-μm-radius droplet per cm3 of air).
Figure 3: Temperature and humidity conditions relevant for stratospheric particle chemistry in SRM schemes.

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Acknowledgements

The project and the authors F.D.P., P.B., R.G.G., M.K., I.M.W. and R.A.C. were funded by EPSRC grant number EP/I01473X/1. P.J.D. was funded by Davidson Technology Limited.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK,

    F. D. Pope

  2. Department of Chemistry, NCAS/Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK

    F. D. Pope, P. Braesicke, M. Kalberer & R. A. Cox

  3. Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK

    R. G. Grainger

  4. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK

    I. M. Watson

  5. Davidson Technology Limited, 8a Village Walk, Onchan, Isle of Man, IM3 4EA, UK

    P. J. Davidson

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Correspondence to F. D. Pope or R. G. Grainger.

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P.J.D. is employed by Davidson Technology Limited, the company holding the patent application mentioned in ref. 15.

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Pope, F., Braesicke, P., Grainger, R. et al. Stratospheric aerosol particles and solar-radiation management. Nature Clim Change 2, 713–719 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1528

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