Properties of young contrails – a parametrisation based on large-eddy simulations
Contrail–cirrus is probably the largest climate forcing from aviation. The evolution of contrail–cirrus and its radiative impact depends not only on a multitude of atmospheric parameters, but also on the geometric and microphysical properties of the young contrails evolving in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2016-02-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/2059/2016/acp-16-2059-2016.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828764322499657728 |
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| author | S. Unterstrasser |
| author_facet | S. Unterstrasser |
| author_sort | S. Unterstrasser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Contrail–cirrus is probably the largest climate forcing from aviation. The
evolution of contrail–cirrus and its radiative impact depends not only on
a multitude of atmospheric parameters, but also on the geometric and
microphysical properties of the young contrails evolving into
contrail–cirrus. The early evolution of contrails (<i>t</i> < 5 min) is
dominated by an interplay of ice microphysics and wake vortex dynamics. Young
contrails may undergo a fast vertical expansion due to a descent of the wake
vortices and may lose a substantial fraction of their ice crystals due to
adiabatic heating. The geometric depth <i>H</i> and total ice crystal number <i>N</i> of young contrails are highly variable and depend on many environmental and aircraft parameters. Both properties, <i>H</i> and <i>N</i>, affect the later properties of the evolving contrail–cirrus, as they control the extent of shear-induced spreading and sedimentation losses. In this study, we provide parametrisations of <i>H</i> and <i>N</i> after 5 min taking into account the effects of temperature, relative humidity, thermal stratification and aircraft type (mass, wing span, fuel burn). The parametrisations rely on a large data set of recent large-eddy simulations of young contrails. They are suited to be incorporated in larger-scale models in order to refine the present-day contrail initialisations by considering the processes that strongly affect the contrail evolution during the vortex phase. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T02:19:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-30f3972be8084031bf908db98fa44144 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T02:19:47Z |
| publishDate | 2016-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-30f3972be8084031bf908db98fa441442022-12-22T01:24:06ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242016-02-01162059208210.5194/acp-16-2059-2016Properties of young contrails – a parametrisation based on large-eddy simulationsS. Unterstrasser0Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234 Wessling, GermanyContrail–cirrus is probably the largest climate forcing from aviation. The evolution of contrail–cirrus and its radiative impact depends not only on a multitude of atmospheric parameters, but also on the geometric and microphysical properties of the young contrails evolving into contrail–cirrus. The early evolution of contrails (<i>t</i> < 5 min) is dominated by an interplay of ice microphysics and wake vortex dynamics. Young contrails may undergo a fast vertical expansion due to a descent of the wake vortices and may lose a substantial fraction of their ice crystals due to adiabatic heating. The geometric depth <i>H</i> and total ice crystal number <i>N</i> of young contrails are highly variable and depend on many environmental and aircraft parameters. Both properties, <i>H</i> and <i>N</i>, affect the later properties of the evolving contrail–cirrus, as they control the extent of shear-induced spreading and sedimentation losses. In this study, we provide parametrisations of <i>H</i> and <i>N</i> after 5 min taking into account the effects of temperature, relative humidity, thermal stratification and aircraft type (mass, wing span, fuel burn). The parametrisations rely on a large data set of recent large-eddy simulations of young contrails. They are suited to be incorporated in larger-scale models in order to refine the present-day contrail initialisations by considering the processes that strongly affect the contrail evolution during the vortex phase.https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/2059/2016/acp-16-2059-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | S. Unterstrasser Properties of young contrails – a parametrisation based on large-eddy simulations Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Properties of young contrails – a parametrisation based on large-eddy simulations |
| title_full | Properties of young contrails – a parametrisation based on large-eddy simulations |
| title_fullStr | Properties of young contrails – a parametrisation based on large-eddy simulations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Properties of young contrails – a parametrisation based on large-eddy simulations |
| title_short | Properties of young contrails – a parametrisation based on large-eddy simulations |
| title_sort | properties of young contrails ndash a parametrisation based on large eddy simulations |
| url | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/2059/2016/acp-16-2059-2016.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sunterstrasser propertiesofyoungcontrailsndashaparametrisationbasedonlargeeddysimulations |