Mission-driven research for stratospheric aerosol geoengineering.

Area of Science:

• Climate science
• Geoengineering research
• Atmospheric science

Background:

• Growing concern over climate change impacts necessitates exploring supplementary mitigation strategies.
• Stratospheric aerosol (SA) geoengineering has been a subject of extensive research over the past decade.
• Current research suggests SA geoengineering is a plausible option to reduce climate risks, but requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the current state of SA geoengineering research.
• To propose a transition towards mission-driven research for informed decision-making.
• To outline key considerations for future research phases and deployment.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing exploratory research on SA geoengineering.
• Analysis of uncertainties and knowledge gaps in current models.
• Conceptualization of a prioritized, comprehensive research agenda.

Main Results:

• While SA geoengineering is plausible, it is not yet sufficiently understood for deployment.
• Future research will likely remain model-based, focusing on identifying critical uncertainties.
• A distinction is needed between small-scale research experiments and global-scale activities.

Conclusions:

• A transition to mission-driven research is crucial for informed decisions on SA geoengineering.
• Model-based research should guide the prioritization of field experiments.
• Global-scale SA geoengineering activities should be considered post-decision, not as research.