EAGER: Introducing a design element into stratospheric aerosol geoengineering

美国国家科学院在2015年建议开展更多研究，以了解太阳地球工程，即平流层气溶胶注入等方法，通过将一些阳光反射回太空来冷却气候。将设计元素引入太阳能地球工程研究提供了一个关键的视角转变，这将从根本上改变围绕地球工程的对话，并激励进一步的研究。直到最近，模型才能够同时捕捉到气溶胶微物理、化学和平流层动力学之间的完全耦合。通过利用这一最先进的能力，这项研究将能够更好地评估通过故意设计的平流层气溶胶注入战略可以实现什么和不能实现什么。临时和有限的地球工程部署可以用来减少气候风险，这似乎是合理的，但进行这样的评估需要了解预测的影响。这项研究旨在通过开发一种基于对设计空间的探索而设计良好的策略，朝着这一目标向前迈进一大步。这对于确保未来关于这些方法的决定是充分知情的至关重要。此外，通过将工程优化、动力系统和反馈设计应用于气候科学而获得的多学科视角，为拓宽两个社区提供了一个机会，具有激发更多洞察力和研究的潜力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The National Academies of Science recommended in 2015 that more research be undertaken to understand solar geoengineering, that is, approaches such as stratospheric aerosol injection that would cool the climate by reflecting some sunlight back to space. Introducing a design element into solar geoengineering research provides a critical shift in perspective that will fundamentally alter the conversation surrounding geoengineering, and inspire further research. Only recently have models been able to simultaneously capture the full coupling between aerosol microphysics, chemistry, and stratospheric dynamics. By taking advantage of this state-of-the-art capability, this research will enable a better assessment of what can and cannot be achieved through an intentionally designed stratospheric aerosol injection strategy. It is plausible that temporary and limited geoengineering deployment could be used to reduce climate risks, but making such an assessment requires understanding projected impacts. This research aims to take a major step forwards towards that objective by developing a well-designed strategy based on an exploration of the design space. This is essential to ensure that future decisions regarding these approaches are well-informed. Furthermore, the multidisciplinary perspective gained by applying engineering optimization, dynamic systems, and feedback design to climate science provides an opportunity to broaden both communities with the potential to spark additional insights and research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.