Articles | Volume 17, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4871-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4871-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
13 Apr 2017
Research article |
| 13 Apr 2017
Is increasing ice crystal sedimentation velocity in geoengineering simulations a good proxy for cirrus cloud seeding?
Blaž Gasparini
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich,
Zurich, Switzerland
Steffen Münch
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich,
Zurich, Switzerland
Laure Poncet
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich,
Zurich, Switzerland
Monika Feldmann
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich,
Zurich, Switzerland
Ulrike Lohmann
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich,
Zurich, Switzerland
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Total article views: 4,097 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
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Cited
20 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Impact of formulations of the homogeneous nucleation rate on ice nucleation events in cirrus P. Spichtinger et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2035-2023
- World Climate Research Programme lighthouse activity: an assessment of major research gaps in solar radiation modification research J. Haywood et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2025.1507479
- A cirrus cloud climate dial? U. Lohmann & B. Gasparini https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan3325
- Climate Response to Aerosol Geoengineering: A Multimethod Comparison H. Muri et al. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0620.1
- The response of terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycling under different aerosol-based radiation management geoengineering H. Lee et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-313-2021
- Cirrus cloud thinning using a more physically based ice microphysics scheme in the ECHAM-HAM general circulation model C. Tully et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11455-2022
- Upper tropospheric ice sensitivity to sulfate geoengineering D. Visioni et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14867-2018
- Estimating the potential cooling effect of cirrus thinning achieved via the seeding approach J. Liu & X. Shi https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10609-2021
- A Numerical Modeling Study on the Earth’s Surface Brightening Effect of Cirrus Thinning X. Shi et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15020189
- A Process Study on Thinning of Arctic Winter Cirrus Clouds With High‐Resolution ICON‐ART Simulations S. Gruber et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029815
- Comparison of the Fast and Slow Climate Response to Three Radiation Management Geoengineering Schemes L. Duan et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029034
- Does prognostic seeding along flight tracks produce the desired effects of cirrus cloud thinning? C. Tully et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7673-2023
- Mixed-phase regime cloud thinning could help restore sea ice D. Villanueva et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aca16d
- Advances in CALIPSO (IIR) cirrus cloud property retrievals – Part 2: Global estimates of the fraction of cirrus clouds affected by homogeneous ice nucleation D. Mitchell & A. Garnier https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14099-2025
- To what extent can cirrus cloud seeding counteract global warming? B. Gasparini et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab71a3
- Cirrus Cloud Properties as Seen by the CALIPSO Satellite and ECHAM-HAM Global Climate Model B. Gasparini et al. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0608.1
- Inequal Responses of Drylands to Radiative Forcing Geoengineering Methods C. Park et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084210
- GEOSENGINEERING AEROSOLS R. Oliynyk https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2721.2022.82.2
- Simultaneous stabilization of global temperature and precipitation through cocktail geoengineering L. Cao et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074281
- Cirrus formation regimes – data-driven identification and quantification of mineral dust effect K. Jeggle et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7227-2025
20 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Impact of formulations of the homogeneous nucleation rate on ice nucleation events in cirrus P. Spichtinger et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2035-2023
- World Climate Research Programme lighthouse activity: an assessment of major research gaps in solar radiation modification research J. Haywood et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2025.1507479
- A cirrus cloud climate dial? U. Lohmann & B. Gasparini https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan3325
- Climate Response to Aerosol Geoengineering: A Multimethod Comparison H. Muri et al. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0620.1
- The response of terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycling under different aerosol-based radiation management geoengineering H. Lee et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-313-2021
- Cirrus cloud thinning using a more physically based ice microphysics scheme in the ECHAM-HAM general circulation model C. Tully et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11455-2022
- Upper tropospheric ice sensitivity to sulfate geoengineering D. Visioni et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14867-2018
- Estimating the potential cooling effect of cirrus thinning achieved via the seeding approach J. Liu & X. Shi https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10609-2021
- A Numerical Modeling Study on the Earth’s Surface Brightening Effect of Cirrus Thinning X. Shi et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15020189
- A Process Study on Thinning of Arctic Winter Cirrus Clouds With High‐Resolution ICON‐ART Simulations S. Gruber et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029815
- Comparison of the Fast and Slow Climate Response to Three Radiation Management Geoengineering Schemes L. Duan et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029034
- Does prognostic seeding along flight tracks produce the desired effects of cirrus cloud thinning? C. Tully et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7673-2023
- Mixed-phase regime cloud thinning could help restore sea ice D. Villanueva et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aca16d
- Advances in CALIPSO (IIR) cirrus cloud property retrievals – Part 2: Global estimates of the fraction of cirrus clouds affected by homogeneous ice nucleation D. Mitchell & A. Garnier https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14099-2025
- To what extent can cirrus cloud seeding counteract global warming? B. Gasparini et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab71a3
- Cirrus Cloud Properties as Seen by the CALIPSO Satellite and ECHAM-HAM Global Climate Model B. Gasparini et al. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0608.1
- Inequal Responses of Drylands to Radiative Forcing Geoengineering Methods C. Park et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084210
- GEOSENGINEERING AEROSOLS R. Oliynyk https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2721.2022.82.2
- Simultaneous stabilization of global temperature and precipitation through cocktail geoengineering L. Cao et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074281
- Cirrus formation regimes – data-driven identification and quantification of mineral dust effect K. Jeggle et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7227-2025
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 03 Jun 2026
Short summary
Cirrus clouds have, unlike other cloud types, a warming impact on climate. Decreasing their frequency therefore leads to a cooling effect. Cirrus ice crystals grow larger when formed on solid aerosols, inducing a shorter cloud lifetime.
We compare simplified simulations of stripping cirrus out of the sky with simulations of seeding by aerosol injections. While we find the surface climate responses to be similar, the changes in clouds and cloud properties differ significantly.
Cirrus clouds have, unlike other cloud types, a warming impact on climate. Decreasing their...
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