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Perspective on aircraft in the stratosphere: 50 years from COMESA through the ozone hole to climate
Author(s) -
Tuck Adrian F.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.3958
Subject(s) - stratosphere , ozone , environmental science , biosphere , atmospheric sciences , ozone layer , aerosol , ozone depletion , meteorology , particulates , climatology , geography , chemistry , physics , geology , organic chemistry , astronomy
A perspective is given on the emissions of aircraft in the stratosphere, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the article that initiated concerns about the ability of nitrogen oxides from supersonic airliners to carry chain reactions that would destroy stratospheric ozone, and so subject the biosphere to damaging ultraviolet reaction. The response of the American, British and French governments engaged meteorology, photochemistry and radiative transfer as never before. The UK programme, COMESA (Committee on the Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft), is reviewed, and its influence on subsequent developments through concerns about chlorofluoromethanes, the ozone hole and on to climate change is traced briefly. Perspective is given on the current situation, particularly as regards the effects of aerosol particulate matter, which can include emissions from aircraft, forest fires, volcanoes, sea spray, dust, the biosphere and gas‐to‐particle conversion.