ABSTRACT

Aerosol emissions from spaceflight activities play a small but increasing role in the background stratospheric aerosol population. Kerosene burning engines remain one of the most widely used engines by both the commercial industry and governments. These engines emit black carbon (BC) particles directly into the stratosphere where they accumulate and absorb solar radiation. Our study modeled the chemical and dynamical response of the atmosphere to a northern mid-latitude rocket BC emission. We initially examine an emission rate of 10 Gg per year (~10,000 metric tons), which is an order of magnitude larger than current emissions, but consistent with extrapolations of space traffic growth several decades into the future. We also performed runs at 30 Gg and 100 Gg per year in order to better understand how the atmosphere's response may scale with increasing BC rocket emissions. Our study found that the stratosphere is sensitive to relatively modest BC injections. A 10 Gg/yr BC emission increased stratospheric temperatures by as much as 1.5 K and produced changes in global circulation. The northern hemisphere also experienced a year-round reduction in stratospheric ozone with a maximum ozone loss of 16 DU occurring in the summer months. The temperature and ozone anomalies increased in a near linear fashion when looking at the larger 30 Gg/yr and 100 Gg/yr emission scenarios.

About the Speaker:

Originally from Michigan, I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Physics at Whittier College in 2012. I then attended the University of Colorado for my PhD in Atmospheric Sciences. While at CU, my area of focus was on modeling upper tropospheric/lower stratospheric clouds and aerosols using the Community Earth's System Model (CESM) coupled with a sectional ice microphysical model, CARMA. After the completion of my PhD in 2019, I started my current position as a research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at CU Boulder and the Chemical Sciences Laboratory at NOAA. Currently I am working on studies focused on stratospheric aerosol emissions related to space travel and satellite re-entry, as well as other modeling work which supports the various interests of the Chemical Climate Processes research group. Outside of work I enjoy a lot of the typical Colorado activities such as hiking, as well as remaining active with sports like softball, swimming, and Thai boxing.