Optimizing Stratospheric Aerosol Lifetime and Albedo through Particle Morphology and Refractive Index

Abstract

Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) has been proposed as a geoengineering approach to temporarily offset global warming by increasing Earth’s albedo. Here, we utilize light scattering calculations to examine how introducing solid aerosol particles into the stratosphere can enhance the Bond albedo, a key metric linking reflectivity directly to radiative forcing. We explore how particle size, refractive index (both real and imaginary components), and morphology (core–shell configurations) affect single scattering albedo, phase function, and the resulting integrated solar reflectivity. Our results show how the optimal aerosol size is governed by matching the wavelength of dipolar resonances with the peak of incoming solar spectral irradiance. We also examine how dispersion and absorption affect the extent of the Bond albedo enhancement. Coated particles are also studied, and we find that very thin lower–index coatings can spoil albedo enhancement (e.g., layers of water or sulfuric acid that are only a few nanometres thick). Conversely, designing core–shell particles with a thin, higher–index shell and a low–density core can retain high reflectivity while substantially reducing particle mass and settling velocity, potentially extending the stratospheric residence time. The framework discussed here is versatile, readily extending to systems beyond homogeneous spherical particles, and it provides a straightforward means of comparing candidate SAI materials while guiding future laboratory studies, work on particle design, field experiments, and climate model parameterizations to assess the viability and risks of stratospheric aerosol geoengineering