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SCIENTIFIC NEWS
VISIBILITY of
VOLCANIC ASH CLOUDS INVESTIGATED Several
incidents in the past have demonstrated that volcanic ash
can have severe consequences on aviation. With the safety
criterion “no flight in visible ash” in mind, we
investigated in a recent study
(Weinzierl et al., 2012)
whether a pilot has the ability to visually detect the
presence of potentially dangerous volcanic ash (i.e., ash
mass concentration larger than 2 mg m-3) and safely avoid
affected regions. The visual detectability of airborne
volcanic ash at various distances from the volcano was
discussed based on airborne observations and simulations with a
radiative transfer model.
The implications of our study for
aircraft operation are the following: under clear-sky conditions,
volcanic ash is visible at concentrations far below the limit for safe
flying, but it is impossible to determine visually when the threshold of
2 mg m-3 is exceeded. Volcanic ash cannot be distinguished
visually from other aerosol layers, such as mineral dust.
To prevent a scenario similar to the
“Eyjafjalla ash crisis” in the future, we need reliable tools to predict
and identify regions free of dangerous ash loads. These tools have to be
certified and implemented in the decision processes.
SCIENTIFIC GOALS OF AerCARE
Aerosol particles play a key role in
shaping conditions on the Earth’s surface and in the lower atmosphere.
Aerosol particles are frequently lifted into the free troposphere and
transported as elevated aerosol layers over long distances, even between
continents. However, the impacts of these aerosol layers on atmosphere
and climate are not yet known.
The main goal of AerCARE is the
systematic investigation and assessment of the climate impacts of
elevated aerosol layers arising from anthropogenic, including air
traffic, and natural sources.
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NEWS
April 2012:
Final preparations for the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry
(DC3)
field experiment ongoing.
September 2011:
Airborne aerosol measurements in the framework of the
CONCERT
field experiment.
30 September 2011: Etna volcanic ash
plume.
more... |
COOPERATION
Helmholtz-University Young Investigators Groups are intended to improve
an existing link between a Helmholtz Center and a University by
enhancing collaboration activities and knowledge exchange. AerCARE is a
cooperation between DLR Oberpfaffenhofen and the
University of Munich.
The AerCARE
Group collaborates with national and international partners (e.g.
IfT,
KIT,
PSI,
ESA,
KNMI,
NILU,
NOAA,
DMT). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The AerCARE Group is funded by the
Helmholtz-Association
through the President’s Initiative and Networking Fund, and by DLR.
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