Stratospheric Sulfur and its Role in Climate Workshops

SSiRC - Stratospheric Sulfur and its Role in Climate

The stratospheric aerosol layer is a key element in the climate system. It affects the radiative balance of the atmosphere directly through interactions with solar and terrestrial radiation, and indirectly through its effect on stratospheric ozone. Because the stratospheric aerosol layer is prescribed in many climate models and Chemistry-Climate Models (CCMs), model simulations of future atmospheric conditions and climate generally do not account for the interaction between the sulphur cycle and changes in the climate system. The present understanding of how the stratospheric aerosol layer may be affected by future climate change and how the stratospheric aerosol layer may drive climate change is, therefore, very limited.

The purposes of SSiRC (Stratospheric Sulfur and its Role in Climate) include: (i) providing a coordinating structure for the various individual activities already underway in different research centres; (ii) encouraging and supporting new instrumentation and measurements of sulfur containing compounds, such as COS, DMS, and non-volcanic SO₂ in the UT/LS globally; and (iii) initiating new model/data inter-comparisons. A more comprehensive implementation plan is currently being developed.

SSiRC is a SPARC Initiative.

Team Members

Science Rationale

Meetings

Supporting Documents:

SPARC Newsletter 39 (2012), p.37: Stratospheric Sulphur and its Role in Climate (SSiRC), by M. Rex, C. Timmreck, S. Kremser, L. Thomason, J.-P. Vernier

ISSI Proposal