About Stratospheric Aerosol Injection:
- It is a method of cooling the planet and reducing the impacts of climate change by adding a layer of tiny reflective particles to the high atmosphere.
- The method was inspired by volcanic eruptions, which have been known to have a cooling effect on the planet by spewing aerosols into the air.
- It aims to mimic the cooling effects of volcanic eruptions by injecting sulfur dioxide (SO2) directly into the stratosphere, where it forms sunlight-reflecting sulfate aerosols.
Key Facts about Aerosols
- They are tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in air or a gas.
- Aerosols can be natural, such as fog or gas from volcanic eruptions, or artificial, such as smoke from burning fossil fuels.
- Aerosol particles are either emitted directly into the atmosphere (primary aerosols) or produced in the atmosphere from precursor gases (secondary aerosols).
- Aerosol particles are tiny, but numerous, and often comprise a number of inorganic and organic substances.
- True aerosol particles range in diameter from a few milli micrometres to about 1 micrometre (equal to 10-4 cm).
- Particles with a diameter of less than 0.1 micrometre are sometimes referred to as Aitken nuclei.
- Visible forms of atmospheric aerosol plumes include smoke, smog, haze, and dust.
