PNNL

Abstract

Sea salt, as an important component of natural aerosols, can introduce considerable uncertainties to the climate system prediction. However, the interactions of sea salt aerosol and climate change in a warming future remain unknown. Here we show that, based on an aerosol-climate model, sea salt emissions will increase notably in the Arctic and the Southern Ocean and decrease over oceans around 40°S and 40°N due to the poleward shift of storm tracks and a stronger sea ice melt in a warmer climate, contributing to a mid-latitude warming through aerosol radiative effects, with regional maxima exceeding 0.2 K, and an average cooling of -0.17 K over the Arctic. This study underscores the potential for an enhanced mid-latitude warming attributable to the sea salt feedback processes if the greenhouse gases concentrations continue rising, providing a novel perspective on the intricate interplay between natural aerosols and climate change.