Aircraft emission mitigation by changing route altitude: a multi-model estimate of aircraft NOx emission impact on O3 photochemistry

Søvde, OA, Matthes, S, Skowron, A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9522-3324, Iachetti, D, Lim, L ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6435-9683, Owen, B ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6302-7513, Hodnebrog, Ø, Di Genova, G, Pitari, G, Lee, DS, Myhre, G and Isaksen, ISA (2014) Aircraft emission mitigation by changing route altitude: a multi-model estimate of aircraft NOx emission impact on O3 photochemistry. Atmospheric Environment, 95. pp. 468-479. ISSN 1352-2310

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Abstract

The atmospheric impact of aircraft NOx emissions are studied using updated aircraft inventories for the year 2006, in order to estimate the photochemistry-related mitigation potential of shifting cruise altitudes higher or lower by 2000ft. Applying three chemistry-transport models (CTM) and two climate-chemistry models (CCM) in CTM mode, all including detailed tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry, we estimate the short-lived radiative forcing (RF) from O3 to range between 16.4 and 23.5mWm-2, with a mean value of 19.5mWm-2. Including the long-lived RF caused by changes in CH4, the total NOx-related RF is estimated to about 5mWm-2, ranging 1-8mWm-2. Cruising at 2000ft higher altitude increases the total RF due to aircraft NOx emissions by 2±1mWm-2, while cruising at 2000 ft lower altitude reduces RF by 2±1mWm-2. This change is mainly controlled by short-lived O3 and show that chemical NOx impact of contrail avoiding measures is likely small. © 2014 The Authors.