Stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could enhance the terrestrial photosynthesis rate
Stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could impact the terrestrial carbon cycle by enhancing the carbon sink. With an 8 Tg yr<sup>−1</sup> injection of SO<sub>2</sub> to produce a stratospheric aerosol cloud to balance anthropogenic radiative forcing from the Representative...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2016-02-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/1479/2016/acp-16-1479-2016.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819085381288591360 |
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| author | L. Xia A. Robock S. Tilmes R. R. Neely III R. R. Neely III |
| author_facet | L. Xia A. Robock S. Tilmes R. R. Neely III R. R. Neely III |
| author_sort | L. Xia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could impact the terrestrial carbon
cycle by enhancing the carbon sink. With an 8 Tg yr<sup>−1</sup> injection of
SO<sub>2</sub> to produce a stratospheric aerosol cloud to balance anthropogenic
radiative forcing from the Representative Concentration Pathway 6.0 (RCP6.0)
scenario, we conducted climate model simulations with the Community Earth
System Model – the Community Atmospheric Model 4 fully coupled to
tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry (CAM4–chem). During the
geoengineering period, as compared to RCP6.0, land-averaged downward visible
(300–700 nm) diffuse radiation increased 3.2 W m<sup>−2</sup> (11 %). The enhanced diffuse radiation
combined with the cooling increased plant photosynthesis by
0.07 ± 0.02 µmol C m<sup>−2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>, which could
contribute to an additional 3.8 ± 1.1 Gt C yr<sup>−1</sup> global gross
primary productivity without explicit nutrient limitation. This increase
could potentially increase the land carbon sink. Suppressed plant and soil
respiration due to the cooling would reduce natural land carbon emission and
therefore further enhance the terrestrial carbon sink during the
geoengineering period. This potentially beneficial impact of stratospheric
sulfate geoengineering would need to be balanced by a large number of
potential risks in any future decisions about the implementation of
geoengineering. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:03:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-da44162d623b40afb2a7b6e6b61d5907 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:03:27Z |
| publishDate | 2016-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-da44162d623b40afb2a7b6e6b61d59072022-12-21T18:50:22ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242016-02-01161479148910.5194/acp-16-1479-2016Stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could enhance the terrestrial photosynthesis rateL. Xia0A. Robock1S. Tilmes2R. R. Neely III3R. R. Neely III4Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USADepartment of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USANational Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry Division, Boulder, CO, USANational Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry Division, Boulder, CO, USANational Centre for Atmospheric Science and the Institute of Climate and Atmospheric Science, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKStratospheric sulfate geoengineering could impact the terrestrial carbon cycle by enhancing the carbon sink. With an 8 Tg yr<sup>−1</sup> injection of SO<sub>2</sub> to produce a stratospheric aerosol cloud to balance anthropogenic radiative forcing from the Representative Concentration Pathway 6.0 (RCP6.0) scenario, we conducted climate model simulations with the Community Earth System Model – the Community Atmospheric Model 4 fully coupled to tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry (CAM4–chem). During the geoengineering period, as compared to RCP6.0, land-averaged downward visible (300–700 nm) diffuse radiation increased 3.2 W m<sup>−2</sup> (11 %). The enhanced diffuse radiation combined with the cooling increased plant photosynthesis by 0.07 ± 0.02 µmol C m<sup>−2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>, which could contribute to an additional 3.8 ± 1.1 Gt C yr<sup>−1</sup> global gross primary productivity without explicit nutrient limitation. This increase could potentially increase the land carbon sink. Suppressed plant and soil respiration due to the cooling would reduce natural land carbon emission and therefore further enhance the terrestrial carbon sink during the geoengineering period. This potentially beneficial impact of stratospheric sulfate geoengineering would need to be balanced by a large number of potential risks in any future decisions about the implementation of geoengineering.https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/1479/2016/acp-16-1479-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | L. Xia A. Robock S. Tilmes R. R. Neely III R. R. Neely III Stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could enhance the terrestrial photosynthesis rate Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could enhance the terrestrial photosynthesis rate |
| title_full | Stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could enhance the terrestrial photosynthesis rate |
| title_fullStr | Stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could enhance the terrestrial photosynthesis rate |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could enhance the terrestrial photosynthesis rate |
| title_short | Stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could enhance the terrestrial photosynthesis rate |
| title_sort | stratospheric sulfate geoengineering could enhance the terrestrial photosynthesis rate |
| url | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/1479/2016/acp-16-1479-2016.pdf |
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