Phys.org November 22, 2021
Geoengineering using sulfuric acid would happen in the stratosphere. The major inputs for the creation of sulfuric acid are sulfur dioxide, hydroxyl radicals which create hydroxysulfonyl radical (HOSO2). This in turn reacts with oxygen to create sulfur trioxide (SO3) which results in sulfuric acid when it reacts with water. Aerosols formed from the sulfuric acid can reflect sunlight. These reactions create acid rain in the troposphere. If the same chemistry would work in the stratosphere is unknown. An international team of researchers (USA -University of Pennsylvania, Spain) has shown that the photodissociation of HOSO2 occurs primarily in the stratosphere through the ejection of hydroxyl radicals (OH) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). This may decrease the production rate of H2SO4 in atmospheric regions with low O2 concentration. In contrast, the photostability of SO3 under stratospheric conditions suggests that its removal efficiency, still poorly understood, is key to assess the H2SO4 formation in the upper atmosphere…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Abstract. Credit: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 44, 18794–18802, November 2, 2021Â