Holistic assessment of SO2 injections using CESM1(WACCM): Introduction to the Special Issue

This model has numerous complexities that allow it to represent some of the most important nonlinearities associated with stratospheric SO2 injection, including aerosol microphysical growth and stratospheric chemistry.

The studies described herein represent the steps toward and first attempt in a state-of-the-art climate model to use solar geoengineering to meet multiple simultaneous objectives via SO2 injection at multiple locations. First, a set of simulations was carried out to better understand the response of the model to variations in latitude, altitude, and amount of sulfur dioxide injections. Subsequently, in a century-long simulation, a feedback algorithm was employed to meet specific objectives and manage uncertainty, wherein the injection amount at each location was adjusted every model year.