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Abstract As the severity of climate change and its associated impacts continue to worsen, schemes for artificially cooling surface temperatures via planetary albedo modification are being studied. The method with the most attention in the literature is stratospheric sulfate aerosol intervention (SAI). Placing reflective aerosols in the stratosphere would have profound impacts on the entire Earth system, with potentially far‐reaching societal impacts. How global crop productivity would be affected by such an intervention strategy is still uncertain, and existing evidence is based on theoretical experiments or isolated modeling studies that use crop models missing key processes associated with SAI that affect plant growth, development, and ultimately yield. Here, we utilize three global gridded process‐based crop models to better understand the potential impacts of one SAI scenario on global maize productivity. Two of the crop models that simulate diffuse radiation fertilization show similar, yet small increases in global maize productivity from increased diffuse radiation. Three crop models show diverse responses to the same climate perturbation from SAI relative to the reference future climate change scenario. We find that future SAI implementation relative to a climate change scenario benefits global maize productivity ranging between 0% and 11% depending on the crop model. These production increases are attributed to reduced surface temperatures and higher fractions of diffuse radiation. The range across model outcomes highlights the need for more systematic multi‐model ensemble assessments using multiple climate model forcings under different SAI scenarios.
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This content will become publicly available on November 1, 2026
Stratospheric aerosol climate intervention could reduce crop nutritional value
Abstract The deliberate addition of sulfur dioxide in the stratosphere to form reflective sulfate aerosols, reflect sunlight, and reduce surface temperatures is increasingly being considered as an option for minimizing the impacts of climate change. This strategy would create an unprecedented climate where the relationship between surface temperature and carbon dioxide concentration is decoupled. The implications of stratospheric aerosol intervention (SAI) for global crop protein concentrations have not yet been explored. While elevated CO2concentrations are expected to reduce crop protein, higher temperatures may increase crop protein concentrations. Here we report changes of maize, rice, soybean, and wheat protein concentrations under a medium emissions climate change scenario and a SAI scenario to maintain global average temperatures at 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels, as simulated by three global gridded crop models. We show that using SAI to offset surface temperature increases would create decreases in the global protein concentrations of maize and rice, with minimal impact on wheat and soybean. Some already protein-deficient and malnourished nations that rely heavily on these crops to meet protein demands would show large decreases in protein intake under SAI with the current diet pattern, which could exacerbate their nutrient scarcity. The range of results between crop models highlights the need for a more comprehensive analysis using additional crop models, climate models, a broader range of climate intervention scenarios, and advancements in crop models to better represent protein responses to climate changes.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2017113
- PAR ID:
- 10657113
- Publisher / Repository:
- IOP Publishing
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Research Letters
- Volume:
- 20
- Issue:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 1748-9326
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 114083
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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