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Modern commercial airliners flying at high altitudes create planet-warming contrails that last longer than older aircraft, a new study finds.
The results mean that, although modern aircraft emit less carbon than older aircraft, they may have a greater impact on climate change through contrails, the report details. Europa Press.
The research, led by scientists at Imperial College London, highlights the huge challenge the aviation industry faces in reducing its impact on the climate. The new study also found that private jets create more contrails than previously thoughtwhich could have a huge impact on climate warming.
Contrails are thin cloud trails created by aircraft exhaust, which contribute to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere.
While the exact contribution of contrails to warming is uncertain, scientists believe their impact is greater than the warming caused by carbon emissions from jet fuel.
Published in Environmental Research Letterswhich used machine learning to analyze more than 64,000 condensation traces A variety of aircraft fly across the North Atlantic.
According to the study, modern aircraft flying at altitudes above 38,000 feet (about 12 kilometers), such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, produce more contrails than older commercial airliners.
In order to reduce fuel consumption, Modern aircraft are designed to fly at higher altitudeswhere the air is thinner and aerodynamic drag is less than that of older commercial airliners, which typically fly at slightly lower altitudes (around 35,000 feet/11 kilometers).
This means these higher-flying aircraft produce less carbon emissions per passenger. However, it also means they create condensation trails that take longer to dissipate.resulting in longer-lasting warming effects and creating complex trade-offs for the aviation industry.
“The impact of climate change on the environment is very real,” said Edward Grispelt, lead author of the study and a research fellow at the Royal Society University’s Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, in a statement.It’s no secret that flying is bad for the climate. However, most people don’t realize that contrails and carbon emissions from aviation fuel contribute to a double warming of the climate.”
“This research is a hurdle for the aviation industry. New aircraft fly higher and higher in the atmosphere to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. An unintended consequence of this is that these planes flying over the North Atlantic now produce more contrails.which last longer, trap more heat in the atmosphere and increase aviation’s impact on the climate.”
“This doesn’t mean that more efficient aircraft are a bad thing, far from it, as they emit less carbon per passenger-mile. However, our findings reflect the challenges the aviation industry faces in reducing its climate impact.”
The study confirmed a simple measure that could shorten the life of contrails: Reducing the amount of soot emitted by aircraft engineswhich occurs when fuel is burned inefficiently.
Modern aircraft engines are designed to be cleaner and generally emit fewer soot particles, thus shortening the life of the contrails.
Although other studies using models have predicted this phenomenon, This study is the first to demonstrate this using real-world observations.. (I)
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