Effectiveness of stratospheric solar-radiation management as a function of climate sensitivity
Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1328Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Ricke, Katharine L., Daniel J. Rowlands, William J. Ingram, David W. Keith, and M. Granger Morgan. 2011. “Effectiveness of Stratospheric Solar-Radiation Management as a Function of Climate Sensitivity.” Nature Climate Change 2 (2) (December 18): 92–96. doi:10.1038/nclimate1328.Abstract
If implementation of proposals to engineer the climate through solar-radiation management (SRM) ever occurs, it is likely to be contingent on climate sensitivity. However, modelling studies examining the effectiveness of SRM as a strategy to offset anthropogenic climate change have used only the standard parameterizations of atmosphere–ocean general circulation models that yield climate sensitivities close to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project mean. Here, we use a perturbed-physics ensemble modelling experiment to examine how the response of the climate to SRM implemented in the stratosphere (SRM-S) varies under different greenhouse-gas climate sensitivities. When SRM-S is used to compensate for rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, its effectiveness in stabilizing regional climates diminishes with increasing climate sensitivity. However, the potential of SRM-S to slow down unmitigated climate change, even regionally, increases with climate sensitivity. On average, in variants of the model with higher sensitivity, SRM-S reduces regional rates of temperature change by more than 90% and rates of precipitation change by more than 50%.Terms of Use
This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Open Access Policy Articles, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of-use#OAPCitable link to this page
http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:13406231
Collections
- FAS Scholarly Articles [18304]
- HKS Faculty Scholarship [762]
Contact administrator regarding this item (to report mistakes or request changes)