Reduced Winter‐Time Clear Air Turbulence in the Trans‐Atlantic Region Under Stratospheric Aerosol Injection

Abstract Clear air turbulence (CAT) is a safety threat within the aviation sector and is projected to worsen under global warming. Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is a climate intervention strategy that aims to ameliorate climate change by artificially cooling Earth. Climate model simulations...

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Main Authors: K. L. Barnes, A. C. Jones, P. D. Williams, J. M. Haywood
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-04-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL113627
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author K. L. Barnes
A. C. Jones
P. D. Williams
J. M. Haywood
author_facet K. L. Barnes
A. C. Jones
P. D. Williams
J. M. Haywood
author_sort K. L. Barnes
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Clear air turbulence (CAT) is a safety threat within the aviation sector and is projected to worsen under global warming. Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is a climate intervention strategy that aims to ameliorate climate change by artificially cooling Earth. Climate model simulations have found a side‐effect of SAI would be a strengthening of the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This links to a stronger North Atlantic jet stream and suggests enhanced CAT in the region. Here, we analyze simulations from the UKESM1 climate model to evaluate the impact of a realistic SAI application on winter‐time trans‐Atlantic CAT. We find a 23% decrease in severe CAT frequency under SAI when compared to a baseline high‐end global warming scenario. Our results indicate that the amelioration of global warming under SAI has a more dominant impact on CAT over the North Atlantic than residual impacts to the NAO.
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institution Kabale University
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publishDate 2025-04-01
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-6acf985f69cc44eeb7c62b29b5da792d2025-08-20T03:39:04ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-04-01528n/an/a10.1029/2024GL113627Reduced Winter‐Time Clear Air Turbulence in the Trans‐Atlantic Region Under Stratospheric Aerosol InjectionK. L. Barnes0A. C. Jones1P. D. Williams2J. M. Haywood3Natural Sciences Faculty of Environment Science and Economy University of Exeter Exeter UKDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy University of Exeter Exeter UKDepartment of Meteorology University of Reading Reading UKDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy University of Exeter Exeter UKAbstract Clear air turbulence (CAT) is a safety threat within the aviation sector and is projected to worsen under global warming. Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is a climate intervention strategy that aims to ameliorate climate change by artificially cooling Earth. Climate model simulations have found a side‐effect of SAI would be a strengthening of the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This links to a stronger North Atlantic jet stream and suggests enhanced CAT in the region. Here, we analyze simulations from the UKESM1 climate model to evaluate the impact of a realistic SAI application on winter‐time trans‐Atlantic CAT. We find a 23% decrease in severe CAT frequency under SAI when compared to a baseline high‐end global warming scenario. Our results indicate that the amelioration of global warming under SAI has a more dominant impact on CAT over the North Atlantic than residual impacts to the NAO.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL113627clear air turbulencegeoengineeringstratospheric aerosol injectionaviation
spellingShingle K. L. Barnes
A. C. Jones
P. D. Williams
J. M. Haywood
Reduced Winter‐Time Clear Air Turbulence in the Trans‐Atlantic Region Under Stratospheric Aerosol Injection
Geophysical Research Letters
clear air turbulence
geoengineering
stratospheric aerosol injection
aviation
title Reduced Winter‐Time Clear Air Turbulence in the Trans‐Atlantic Region Under Stratospheric Aerosol Injection
title_full Reduced Winter‐Time Clear Air Turbulence in the Trans‐Atlantic Region Under Stratospheric Aerosol Injection
title_fullStr Reduced Winter‐Time Clear Air Turbulence in the Trans‐Atlantic Region Under Stratospheric Aerosol Injection
title_full_unstemmed Reduced Winter‐Time Clear Air Turbulence in the Trans‐Atlantic Region Under Stratospheric Aerosol Injection
title_short Reduced Winter‐Time Clear Air Turbulence in the Trans‐Atlantic Region Under Stratospheric Aerosol Injection
title_sort reduced winter time clear air turbulence in the trans atlantic region under stratospheric aerosol injection
topic clear air turbulence
geoengineering
stratospheric aerosol injection
aviation
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL113627
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AT acjones reducedwintertimeclearairturbulenceinthetransatlanticregionunderstratosphericaerosolinjection
AT pdwilliams reducedwintertimeclearairturbulenceinthetransatlanticregionunderstratosphericaerosolinjection
AT jmhaywood reducedwintertimeclearairturbulenceinthetransatlanticregionunderstratosphericaerosolinjection