Impact of geo-engineering on the ion composition of the stratosphere

Abstract

A remedy called "geo-engineering solution" has been recently proposed by some scientists to handle the global warming problem through injection of sulfates high aloft into the stratosphere. However, this idea may have some other side impacts. We have investigated the perturbation caused by geo-engineering solution on the stratospheric charged species using a coupled neutral-ion photochemical model. Model calculations indicate additional production of sulfuric acid immediately after the injection which further leads to increased abundance of heavy negative ion family by several orders of magnitude over the ambient. After 2 months, most of the H2SO4 vapor condensed to H2SO4 aerosols and the density of charged aerosol increases several folds and the effect spread further in the tropics. The perturbation in ionic species spread globally after about 1 year but became weaker in magnitude. The ion perturbation has implications on the electrical properties of the atmospheric medium. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.