Albedo Enhancement by Stratospheric Sulfur Injections: A Contribution to Resolve a Policy Dilemma?

Crutzen, Paul J.

doi:10.1007/s10584-006-9101-y

Cited by 1,316 publications

(1,037 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The cooling of the earth's surface observed after the emission of volcanic aerosols is considered a natural example for potential effects of the proposed climate engineering (CE) technique of injecting sulfur into the stratosphere (Budyko, 1977;Crutzen, 2006). Such surface cooling is intended but numerical CE studies show that the artificial climate under CE would not be the same as a natural one under the same radiative forcing conditions (Schmidt et al, 2012), because, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing transport processes in the stratosphere by radiative heating of sulfate aerosols

2017

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Abstract. The injection of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) into the stratosphere to form an artificial stratospheric aerosol layer is discussed as an option for solar radiation management. Sulfate aerosol scatters solar radiation and absorbs infrared radiation, which warms the stratospheric sulfur layer. Simulations with the general circulation model ECHAM5-HAM, including aerosol microphysics, show consequences of this warming, including changes of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the tropics. The QBO slows down after an injection of 4 Tg(S) yr −1 and completely shuts down after an injection of 8 Tg(S) yr −1 . Transport of species in the tropics and subtropics depends on the phase of the QBO. Consequently, the heated aerosol layer not only impacts the oscillation of the QBO but also the meridional transport of the sulfate aerosols. The stronger the injection, the stronger the heating and the simulated impact on the QBO and equatorial wind systems. With increasing injection rate the velocity of the equatorial jet streams increases, and the less sulfate is transported out of the tropics. This reduces the global distribution of sulfate and decreases the radiative forcing efficiency of the aerosol layer by 10 to 14 % compared to simulations with low vertical resolution and without generated QBO. Increasing the height of the injection increases the radiative forcing only for injection rates below 10 Tg(S) yr −1 (8-18 %), a much smaller value than the 50 % calculated previously. Stronger injection rates at higher levels even result in smaller forcing than the injections at lower levels.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing transport processes in the stratosphere by radiative heating of sulfate aerosols

2017

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“…Crutzen, 2006;. Hence it is important to assess the abilities of different microphysical approaches to simulate the temporal development of particle size distributions under evolving atmospheric conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerosol microphysics modules in the framework of the ECHAM5 climate model – intercomparison under stratospheric conditions

et al. 2009

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Abstract. In this manuscript, we present an intercomparison of three different aerosol microphysics modules that are implemented in the climate model ECHAM5. The comparison was done between the modal aerosol microphysics module M7, which is currently the default aerosol microphysical core in ECHAM5, and two sectional aerosol microphysics modules SALSA, and SAM2. The detailed aerosol microphysical model MAIA was used as a reference to evaluate the results of the aerosol microphysics modules with respect to sulphate aerosol.The ability of the modules to describe the development of the aerosol size distribution was tested in a zero dimensional framework. We evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches under different types of stratospheric conditions. Also, we present an improved method for the time integration in M7 and study how the setup of the modal aerosol modules affects the evolution of the aerosol size distribution.Intercomparison simulations were carried out with varying SO 2 concentrations from background conditions to extreme values arising from stratospheric injections by large volcanic eruptions. Under background conditions, all microphysics modules were in good agreement describing the shape of the aerosol size distribution, but the scatter between the model results increased with increasing SO 2 concentrations. In particular in the volcanic case the setups of the aerosol modules have to be adapted in order to dependably capture the evoluCorrespondence to: H. Kokkola (harri.kokkola@fmi.fi) tion of the aerosol size distribution, and to perform in global model simulations.In summary, this intercomparison serves as a review of the different aerosol microphysics modules which are currently available for the climate model ECHAM5.

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“…4 Nobel prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen thinks the new epoch may legitimize intentional engineering of the climate. 5 Both thinkers advocate for a thoroughly interventionist future.…”

Section: T T Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

De‐extinction and Taking Control of Earth's “Metabolism”

Preston¹

2017

Hastings Center Report

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In a laboratory on a university campus in Santa Cruz, California, Ben Novak is doing everything he can to bring Ectopistes migratorius back from the dead. Using techniques now available in genome reading and gene synthesis, he and paleogenomicist Beth Shapiro hope that, by 2032, a flock of passenger pigeons ten thousand or more strong will have resumed an ecologically significant role in the mast forests of the Eastern United States. Novak knows—and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) affirms—that the challenges involved in making de‐extinction work are far from solely genetic. Novak is doing an ecological risk assessment of passenger pigeon reintroduction to figure out whether flocks of the resurrected species would pose any special hazards to ecosystems. Ecological harm is one of several worries attending the prospect of de‐extinction. Among other concerns are the possible harm that individuals born through this process might suffer and the possible introduction of disease vectors. But I want to step back from these immediate questions and think about some conceptual ones that operate in the background. Technology can be a grand shaper of cultural norms and expectations, and de‐extinction should be looked at in relation to a number of emerging technologies. This paper will examine the degree to which de‐extinction is part of a more widespread restructuring of ethical relationships to the surrounding world that are under way at the hands of emerging technologies. This restructuring is part of an ongoing shift in how to think about conservation in the new epoch of the Anthropocene.

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Albedo Enhancement by Stratospheric Sulfur Injections: A Contribution to Resolve a Policy Dilemma?

Cited by 1,316 publications

References 38 publications

Changing transport processes in the stratosphere by radiative heating of sulfate aerosols

Changing transport processes in the stratosphere by radiative heating of sulfate aerosols

Aerosol microphysics modules in the framework of the ECHAM5 climate model – intercomparison under stratospheric conditions

De‐extinction and Taking Control of Earth's “Metabolism”

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