Stratospheric response in the first geoengineering simulation meeting multiple surface climate objectives

Simulations were carried out with the Community Earth System Model, version 1 with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model as its atmospheric component [CESM1(WACCM)] coupled to a feedback algorithm controlling the magnitude of sulfur dioxide (SO2) injections at four injection latitudes.

We find that, throughout the entire geoengineering simulation, the lower stratospheric temperatures increase by similar to 0.19 K per Tg SO2 injection per year or similar to 10 K with similar to 40 Tg SO2/year total SO2 injection. These temperature changes are associated with a strengthening of the polar jets in the stratosphere and weakening of the mean zonal wind in the lower stratosphere subtropics and throughout the troposphere, associated with weaker storm track activity.