Modeling Atmospheric Turbulence and Its Impacts on Plume Dispersion for Stratospheric Aerosol Injection

This lecture explores the modeling of atmospheric turbulence and its effects on plume dispersion in stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) scenarios. Learn how injected aerosols in the stratosphere can maintain quasi-linear structures for extended periods, creating plumes thousands of kilometers long with narrow cross-sections. Discover why the evolution of these line-shape plumes critically depends on near-field atmospheric turbulence, which remains poorly represented in global climate models due to subgrid-scale processes and limited stratospheric observations. Understand the importance of improving our knowledge of stratospheric turbulence to better evaluate both the cooling potential and potential side effects of SAI, including stratospheric warming, ozone depletion, and precipitation changes. This 16-minute presentation by Robert Wood from the Simons Foundation is part of the Solar Radiation Management Annual Meeting 2025.