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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • geo-engineering
  • ion composition
  • aerosols

Index Terms

  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Ion chemistry of the atmosphere
  • Global Change: Impacts of global change
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere: composition and chemistry
  • Global Change: Atmosphere
  • Global Change: Abrupt/rapid climate change

Abstract

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 35, L10812, 5 PP., 2008
doi:10.1029/2008GL033186

Impact of geo-engineering on the ion composition of the stratosphere

Gufran Beig

Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, India

A remedy called “geo-engineering solution” has been recently proposed by some scientists to handle the global warming problem through injection of sulfates high aloft into the stratosphere. However, this idea may have some other side impacts. We have investigated the perturbation caused by geo-engineering solution on the stratospheric charged species using a coupled neutral-ion photochemical model. Model calculations indicate additional production of sulfuric acid immediately after the injection which further leads to increased abundance of heavy negative ion family by several orders of magnitude over the ambient. After 2 months, most of the H2SO4 vapor condensed to H2SO4 aerosols and the density of charged aerosol increases several folds and the effect spread further in the tropics. The perturbation in ionic species spread globally after about 1 year but became weaker in magnitude. The ion perturbation has implications on the electrical properties of the atmospheric medium.

Received 4 January 2008; accepted 16 April 2008; published 28 May 2008.

Citation: Beig, G. (2008), Impact of geo-engineering on the ion composition of the stratosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L10812, doi:10.1029/2008GL033186.

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