Dommo et al. (2025) Assessing the Response of Surface Cloud Radiative Effects to Stratospheric Aerosol Injections Over West and Central Africa

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-10-17
• Authors: Atanas Dommo, Francis Nkrumah, Kwesi Akumenyi Quagraine, Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Gandomè Mayeul Léger Davy Quenum, Hubert Azoda Koffi
• DOI: 10.1029/2025jd043576

Research Groups

Not specified in the abstract.

Short Summary

This study investigates the response of surface cloud radiative effects (CREs) to Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (ARISE-SAI-1.5) compared to a climate change scenario (SSP2-4.5) across three African regions. Findings indicate ARISE-SAI-1.5 mitigates shortwave cloud cooling decreases and enhances longwave warming, primarily driven by changes in liquid water path and fractional cloud cover.

Objective

• To investigate the response of surface cloud radiative effects (CREs) to Assessing Responses and Impacts of Solar Climate Intervention on the Earth system with Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (ARISE‐SAI) relative to Shared Socio‐Economic Pathways (SSP2‐4.5) across Southern West Africa (SWA), Central Africa (CA), and Sahara (SAH).

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Southern West Africa (SWA), Central Africa (CA), Sahara (SAH).
• Temporal Scale: 2035–2069.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model version 6 (WACCM6).
• Data sources: 10 members of simulations from CESM2/WACCM6 under the ARISE‐SAI‐1.5 scenario, compared to outputs from the SSP2.4‐5 scenario.

Main Results

• ARISE-SAI-1.5 mitigates the decreasing trend of shortwave cloud cooling compared to SSP2-4.5 by:
  • −0.35 W/m² over Central Africa (CA)
  • −0.99 W/m² over Southern West Africa (SWA)
  • −0.20 W/m² over Sahara (SAH)
• ARISE-SAI-1.5 significantly enhances longwave warming by:
  • +1.06 W/m² over Central Africa (CA)
  • +0.62 W/m² over Southern West Africa (SWA)
  • +0.23 W/m² over Sahara (SAH)
• Changes in shortwave cloud cooling are not robust and may be attributable to natural variability rather than direct ARISE-SAI effects.
• Cloud radiative effects show high sensitivity to changes in liquid water path.
• Increased fractional cloud cover contributes to enhancing longwave cloud warming at the surface.
• Strengthened precipitation is associated with increased shortwave cloud cooling (outweighing its longwave counterpart) or increased shortwave cloud cooling and reduced longwave cloud warming.

Contributions

• Provides regional insights into the surface cloud radiative effects of Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (ARISE-SAI-1.5) using CESM2/WACCM6 simulations.
• Contributes to a better assessment of SAI impacts and paves the way for comprehensive model comparisons.

Funding

Not specified in the abstract.

Citation

@article{Dommo2025Assessing,
  author = {Dommo, Atanas and Nkrumah, Francis and Quagraine, Kwesi Akumenyi and Klutse, Nana Ama Browne and Quenum, Gandomè Mayeul Léger Davy and Koffi, Hubert Azoda},
  title = {Assessing the Response of Surface Cloud Radiative Effects to Stratospheric Aerosol Injections Over West and Central Africa},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1029/2025jd043576},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jd043576}
}