Cited by 48Climate Change and GeoengineeringClimate variability and modelsAtmospheric aerosols and clouds

Exploring the Effects of Solar Radiation Management on Water Cycling in a Coupled Land–Atmosphere Model*

Dagon, Katherine, Schrag, Daniel P.·2016·Journal of Climate

Abstract

Solar radiation management (SRM) has been proposed as a form of geoengineering to reduce the climate effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Modeling studies have concluded that SRM, through a reduction in total solar irradiance by approximately 2%, roughly compensates for global mean temperature changes from a doubling of carbon dioxide concentrations. This paper examines the impact of SRM on the terrestrial hydrologic cycle using the Community Land Model, version 4, coupled to the Community Atmosphere Model, version 4, with reductions in solar radiation relative to simulations with present-day and elevated CO2 concentrations. There are significant global and regional impacts due to vegetation–climate interactions that are not compensated when reductions in total solar irradiance of 1%, 2%, and 3% are imposed on top of a doubling of present-day CO2 concentrations. Water cycling slows down under SRM, including decreases in global mean precipitation and evapotranspiration. Changes in runoff and soil moisture are spatially and temporally variable, with implications for local water availability. In the tropics, evapotranspiration decreases because of increases in vegetation water use efficiency. In northern midlatitudes, soil moisture increases when evapotranspiration decreases, with some exceptions during boreal summer. Changes in soil evaporation influence water cycling in the southern subtropics, rather than changes in transpiration. The hydrologic response to SRM is nonlinear, with global mean decreases greater than expected. These results imply that SRM may not compensate for higher greenhouse gas concentrations when one considers land–atmosphere interactions.

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Authors
Dagon, K., & Schrag, D. P.
Affiliations
Harvard University (US)
Venue
Journal of Climate
Published
2016-03-29
Volume
29
Issue
7
Pages
2635-2650
ISSN
  • 0894-8755 (ISSN-L)
  • 1520-0442
OpenAlex
W2286836547
Cited by
48
References
124
Citations by year
2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1
FWCI
1.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Journal of Climate (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Harvard University
  • FAS Division of Science, Harvard University
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate Change and Geoengineering
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate variability and models
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
Keywords
solar radiation management, geoengineering, water cycle, evapotranspiration, precipitation, soil moisture, runoff, vegetation-climate interactions, water use efficiency, soil evaporation, transpiration, solar irradiance reduction, CO2 doubling, land-atmosphere interactions, Community Land Model, Community Atmosphere Model

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