Modifications of the Quasi-Biennial oscillation by a geoengineering perturbation of the stratospheric aerosol layer
Open accessAbstract
This paper examines the impact of geoengineering via stratospheric sulfate aerosol on the quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) using the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System version 5 Chemistry Climate Model. We performed four 30 year simulations with a continuous injection of sulfur dioxide on the equator at 0° longitude. The four simulations differ by the amount of sulfur dioxide injected (5 Tg/yr and 2.5 Tg/yr) and the altitude of the injection (16 km–25 km and 22 km–25 km). We find that such an injection dramatically alters the quasi‐biennial oscillation, prolonging the phase of easterly shear with respect to the control simulation. This is caused by the increased aerosol heating and associated warming in the tropical lower stratosphere and higher residual vertical velocity. In the case of maximum perturbation, i.e., highest stratospheric aerosol burden, the lower tropical stratosphere is locked into a permanent westerly QBO phase.
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Increased sulfate concentrations could impact the phases of the quasi-biennial oscillation.
“potentially impacting the phases of the quasi-biennial oscillation (Aquila et al 2014)”
From The cost of stratospheric aerosol injection through 2100 (2020) · cites this paper as Aquila et al 2014
Cites
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Self-citationImpact of geoengineered aerosols on the troposphere and stratosphere
Tilmes, S., Garcia, R. R., Kinnison, D. E., Gettelman, A., & Rasch, P. J. (2009) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/2008jd011420 · Cited by 187 · cited 2× · see citing works
“, 2013) and stratospheric ozone (Tilmes et al., 2009), such stratospheric injection of aerosol would also lead to perturbations of stratospheric dynamics.”
BackgroundGarfinkel, C. I., & Hartmann, D. L. (2011) · Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences · doi:10.1175/2011jas3665.1 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
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Evaluating climate geoengineering proposals in the context of the Paris Agreement temperature goals
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CESM1(WACCM) Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering Large Ensemble Project
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MacMartin, D. G., Kravitz, B., Tilmes, S., Richter, J. H., Mills, M. J., Lamarque, J., Tribbia, J. J., & Vitt, F. (2017) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1002/2017jd026868 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
What is the limit of climate engineering by stratospheric injection of SO <sub>2</sub> ?
Niemeier, U., & Timmreck, C. (2015) · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · doi:10.5194/acp-15-9129-2015 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Stratospheric Dynamical Response and Ozone Feedbacks in the Presence of SO <sub>2</sub> Injections
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Improved aerosol radiative properties as a foundation for solar geoengineering risk assessment
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The cost of stratospheric aerosol injection through 2100
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“…and (depending upon the injection altitudes and latitudes ultimately chosen) potentially impacting the phases of the quasi-biennial oscillation (Aquila et al 2014), tropospheric winds (Garfinkel and Hartmann 2011), high latitude seasonal temperature cycles (Jiang et al 2019), and precipitation…”
BackgroundChanging transport processes in the stratosphere by radiative heating of sulfate aerosols
Niemeier, U., & Schmidt, H. (2017) · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · doi:10.5194/acp-17-14871-2017 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Kleinschmitt, C., Boucher, O., & Platt, U. (2018) · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · doi:10.5194/acp-18-2769-2018 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
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Seasonal Injection Strategies for Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering
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Quantifying the Efficiency of Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering at Different Altitudes
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“…acid aerosols bears several limitations, including optically inefficient aerosol size distributions (Vattioni et al., 2019), strato-spheric ozone depletion (Tilmes et al., 2008; Vattioni et al., 2019; Weisenstein et al., 2022), and stratospheric heating (Aquila et al., 2014; Dykema et al., 2016).”
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Hack, M., McNeill, V. F., Steingart, D., & Wagner, G. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-20447-2 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
- Authors
- Aquila, V., Garfinkel, C. I., Newman, P. A., Oman, L. D., & Waugh, D. W.
- Affiliations
- Goddard Space Flight Center (US)
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Aquila, V.
- Venue
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2014-03-12
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1738-1744
- ISSN
- 0094-8276 (ISSN-L)
- 1944-8007
- OpenAlex
- W1913055161
- Cited by
- 122
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 9.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Geophysical Research Letters (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate Change and Geoengineering
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
- Keywords
- quasi-biennial oscillation, solar geoengineering, stratospheric sulfate aerosols, sulfur dioxide insertion, stratospheric aerosol layer, aerosol heating, tropical lower stratosphere, stratospheric circulation
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