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An assessment of aircraft as a source of particles to the upper troposphere
Author(s) -
Anderson B. E.,
Cofer W. R.,
Crawford J.,
Gregory G. L.,
Vay S. A.,
Brunke K. E.,
Kondo Y.,
Koike M.,
Schlager H.,
Baughcum S. L.,
Jensen E.,
Zhao Yongjing,
Kita Kazuyuki
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl900276
Subject(s) - aerosol , troposphere , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , cloud condensation nuclei , particle number , plume , particle (ecology) , mixing ratio , meteorology , physics , geology , nuclear physics , oceanography , plasma
Condensation nuclei measurements are examined in conjunction with measurements of reactive nitrogen species (NO y ) to identify aircraft plumes in primary air traffic corridors over the North Atlantic. Several hundred plumes exhibiting ≥100 pptv enhancements in NO y mixing ratio were observed. The plumes were typically a few hundred meters wide, exhibited high NO/NO y ratios, and ranged in age from ∼10 minutes to ∼10 hours. Assuming the sampled aircraft emitted ∼12 g NO x (as NO 2 ) kg −1 fuel burned and that the loss of NO y to the particle phase was negligible, we calculate median aerosol emission indices in terms of number of particles kg −1 of fuel burned of ∼120×10 15 for CN ≥8 nm in size; ∼50×10 15 for CN ≥ 17 nm; and ∼3×10 15 for the nonvolatile CN ≥ 17 nm. Using published fuel burn statistics, background aerosol concentrations, and a 10 day particle lifetime, we conclude that present aviation sources enhance global averaged upper‐tropospheric fine and nonvolatile aerosol number densities by ∼6% and ∼3%, respectively.