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Title: Enhanced marine sulphur emissions offset global warming and impact rainfall

Journal Article · · Scientific Reports
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13055· OSTI ID:1557434
 [1];  [2]
  1. Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre (Singapore)
  2. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre (Singapore)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Artificial fertilisation of the ocean has been proposed as a possible geoengineering method for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The associated increase in marine primary productivity may lead to an increase in emissions of dimethyl sulphide (DMS), the primary source of sulphate aerosol over remote ocean regions, potentially causing direct and cloud-related indirect aerosol effects on climate. This pathway from ocean fertilisation to aerosol induced cooling of the climate may provide a basis for solar radiation management (SRM) geoengineering. In this study, we investigate the transient climate impacts of two emissions scenarios: an RCP4.5 (Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5) control; and an idealised scenario, based on RCP4.5, in which DMS emissions are substantially enhanced over ocean areas. We use mini-ensembles of a coupled atmosphere-ocean configuration of CESM1(CAM5) (Community Earth System Model version 1, with the Community Atmosphere Model version 5). We find that the cooling effect associated with enhanced DMS emissions beneficially offsets greenhouse gas induced warming across most of the world. However, the rainfall response may adversely affect water resources, potentially impacting human livelihoods. These results demonstrate that changes in marine phytoplankton activity may lead to a mixture of positive and negative impacts on the climate.

Research Organization:
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-94ER61937
OSTI ID:
1557434
Journal Information:
Scientific Reports, Vol. 5, Issue 1; ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 15 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (7)

Effects of ocean warming and coral bleaching on aerosol emissions in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia journal September 2018
An advanced modeling study on the impacts and atmospheric implications of multiphase dimethyl sulfide chemistry journal September 2016
Decadal increase in Arctic dimethylsulfide emission journal September 2019
The possible roles of algae in restricting the increase in atmospheric CO 2 and global temperature journal October 2017
Cloud, precipitation and radiation responses to large perturbations in global dimethyl sulfide journal January 2018
Impacts on cloud radiative effects induced by coexisting aerosols converted from international shipping and maritime DMS emissions journal January 2018
Sensitivity of Arctic sulfate aerosol and clouds to changes in future surface seawater dimethylsulfide concentrations journal January 2019

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