Phys.org August 23, 2022
Making informed future decisions about solar radiation modification (SRM)/solar geoengineering requires projections of the climate response and associated human and ecosystem impacts using climate models and simulations. SRM modeling simulations to date typically consider only a single scenario, often with some unrealistic or arbitrarily chosen elements (such as starting deployment in 2020) and have often been chosen based on scientific rather than policy-relevant considerations. An international team of researchers (USA – Cornell University, Indiana University, NCAR, Duke University, American University, UCLA, Japan) list several scenarios that explore different choices, and present new climate model simulation results. These scenarios assume deployment might start in 2035, and the effects of that choice are evaluated by comparing with a start date a decade later. Further scenarios explore risks such as abrupt termination or temporary interruptions. According to the researchers this framework represents a significant step forward to inform future policy…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
There are multiple dimensions to future scenarios for SRM…Credit: PNAS, August 8, 2022, 119 (33) e2202230119