AIRFORCE: Aircraft influences and radiative forcing from emissions

Global air traffic has increased extensively during the last few decades and is expected to increase further over the next 20 years by about 5-6% per year. Emissions of trace gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, sulphur oxides, water vapour and soot from aircraft can have environmental effects and contribute directly or indirectly to global warming. The three institutes (IMAU, KNMI en RIVM) that form the Netherlands Centre for Climate Research (CKO) participated in the AIRFORCE project (Aircraft Influences and Radiative Forcing from Emissions).

The goals of AIRFORCE are: Research on the effect of aircraft emissions on the composition of the atmosphere and on the direct and indirect effects of aircraft emissions on radiative forcing and climate. The model results indicate that NO_x emissions from aircraft cause an increase in the NO_x and ozone concentrations in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, and a positive radiative forcing.

The dynamical and chemical mechanisms of several 3-dimensional chemical-transport models (CTMK/TM3 and MOGUNTIA) have been improved considerable in the project. The results have been compared with available measurements from the STREAM/AIRFORCE and POLINAT campaigns. To account for the chemical conversion and dispersion directly behind an aircraft, an aircraft plume model has been developed in the AIRFORCE project, to translate the aircraft NO_x emissions into effective emissions that are used as input in the chemical transport models.

Authors

Velders GJM , Beck JP , Bolder M , Bregman B , Kelder H , Lelieveld J , Meijer EW , Scheeren HA , Valks PJM , Velthoven PFJ van , Weele M van

Specifications

Publication title: AIRFORCE: Aircraft influences and radiative forcing from emissions
Publication date: 19 February 1999
Publication type: Publication
Publication language: English
Product number: 90421