The potential environmental and climate impacts of stratospheric aerosol injection: a review
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Abstract
This article reviews scientific evidence for the potential environmental impacts of stratospheric aerosol injection, a form of solar radiation geoengineering.
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Models predict that, beyond decreased ground surface temperatures, stratospheric aerosol injection would have unwanted climatic effects including depletion of stratospheric ozone.
“These models predict that, beyond decreased ground surface temperatures, SAI would have unwanted climatic effects including depletion of stratospheric ozone [40].”
Stratospheric aerosol injection could lead to cascading environmental effects, whereby regional climate changes affect surface UV-radiation, tropospheric ozone, and precipitation.
“This could lead to cascading environmental effects, whereby regional climate changes affect surface UV-radiation, tropospheric ozone, and precipitation.”
Models project that immediate implementation of stratospheric aerosol injection could produce 1-2% depletion of the total column ozone globally by the 2030s.
“Models project that immediate implementation of SAI could produce 1–2% depletion of the total column ozone globally by the 2030s ([42]; reviewed by Hyunh & McNeill [40]).”
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Neale, P. J., Hylander, S., Banaszak, A. T., Häder, D.-P., Rose, K. C., Vione, D., Wängberg, S.-Å., Jansen, M. A. K., Busquets, R., Andersen, M. P. S., et al. (2025) · Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences · doi:10.1007/s43630-025-00687-x · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“Models project that immediate implementation of SAI could produce 1–2% depletion of the total column ozone globally by the 2030s ([42]; reviewed by Hyunh & McNeill [40]).”
- Authors
- Huynh, H. N., & McNeill, V. F.
- Affiliations
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
- Columbia University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Huynh, Han N.
- Venue
- Environmental Science: Atmospheres
- Publisher
- Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
- Published
- 2024
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 114-143
- ISSN
- 2634-3606 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4390887427
- Cited by
- 27
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 3
- FWCI
- 4.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Environmental Science Atmospheres (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- ChemRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- CU Scholar (University of Colorado Boulder) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- NOAA Institutional Repository (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Funders
- Eutopia Foundation
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate Change and Geoengineering
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Keywords
- stratospheric aerosol injection, environmental impact, climate change impacts, geoengineering risks
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