The dependency of geoengineered sulfate aerosol on the emission strategy

The climatic effect of geoengineered stratospheric sulfate aerosol depends on the strategy for sulfur emission that determines the microphysical evolution of the resulting sulfate layer, in particular the radius and radiative impact of the aerosols. Simulations with a three-dimensional general circulation model (GCM), including an aerosol microphysical model, show e.g. decreasing sulfate lifetime with increasing emission rate. Furthermore, scenarios that differ with respect to location, local and temporal distribution and chemical composition of the emissions are studied. The study shows detailed information on particle radius, sulfate burden and radiative impact for these scenarios. © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society