CONTRAILS: A New Atmosphere Measurement Protocol for GLOBE

National Aeronautics & Space Administration Langley Research Ctr, Hampton VA

Investigators

Abstract

In response to an Announcement of Opportunity for the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Program (GLOBE) this project is designed to meet GLOBE goals and objectives of linking scientists and schoolchildren in a global information network with the ultimate goal of better understanding Earth's environment and changes that take place within it. This proposal consists of various segments addressing GLOBE Program needs: support for existing protocols, development of new protocols, and scientific research with GLOBE data. This proposal will support the development of a new protocol to assess the presence, extent, and duration of jet contrails and cirrus clouds at the same time of day as the other measurements in the Atmosphere suite of GLOBE protocols. Jet contrails, under the right conditions, can generate wide-spread cirrus cloudiness, which has the potential to affect the radiative budget of the planet. Given increases in jet traffic, the effect by 2050 could increase ten-fold, and be as large as one quarter of the current anthropogenic greenhouse gas radiative forcing. While models currently exist to predict the potential areas over which contrails can develop and spread, there is no consistent observation program to complement and validate efforts at satellite observation of contrails. This GLOBE protocol has the potential to fill a gap in observations and research. %%% In response to an Announcement of Opportunity for the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Program (GLOBE) this project is designed to meet GLOBE goals and objectives of linking scientists and schoolchildren in a global information network with the ultimate goal of better understanding Earth's environment and changes that take place within it. This proposal consists of various segments addressing GLOBE Program needs: support for existing protocols, development of new protocols, and scientific research with GLOBE data. This proposal will support the development of a new protocol to assess the presence, extent, and duration of jet contrails and cirrus clouds at the same time of day as the other measurements in the Atmosphere suite of GLOBE protocols. Jet contrails, under the right conditions, can generate wide-spread cirrus cloudiness, which has the potential to affect the radiative budget of the planet. Given increases in jet traffic, the effect by 2050 could increase ten-fold, and be as large as one quarter of the current anthropogenic greenhouse gas radiative forcing. While models currently exist to predict the potential areas over which contrails can develop and spread, there is no consistent observation program to complement and validate efforts at satellite observation of contrails. This GLOBE protocol has the potential to fill a gap in observations and research. ***