Stratospheric heating by potential geoengineering aerosols

Ferraro, A.J., Highwood, E.J. and Charlton-Perez, A.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8179-6220 (2011) Stratospheric heating by potential geoengineering aerosols. Geophysical Research Letters, 34. L24706. ISSN 0094-8276 doi: 10.1029/2011GL049761

Abstract/Summary

A fixed dynamical heating model is used to investigate the pattern of zonal-mean stratospheric temperature change resulting from geoengineering with aerosols composed of sulfate, titania, limestone and soot. Aerosol always heats the tropical lower stratosphere, but at the poles the response can be either heating, cooling, or neutral. The sign of the change in stratospheric Pole-Equator temperature difference depends on aerosol type, size and season. This has implications for modelling geoengineering impacts and the response of the stratospheric circulation.