Articles | Volume 22, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7699-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-7699-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
15 Jun 2022
Research article |
| 15 Jun 2022
| 15 Jun 2022
The effect of ice supersaturation and thin cirrus on lapse rates in the upper troposphere
Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt,
Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Lena Wilhelm
Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt,
Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
now at: Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research and Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Sina Hofer
Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt,
Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Susanne Rohs
IEK-8, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 9235–9247, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9235-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9235-2025, 2025
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The radiative effect of aviation-induced cirrus is closely related to ambient conditions and its microphysical properties. Our study investigated the occurrence of contrail and natural cirrus measured above central Europe in spring 2014. It finds that contrail cirrus appears frequently in the pressure range 200 to 245 hPa and occurs more often in slightly ice-subsaturated environments than expected. Avoiding slightly ice-subsaturated regions by aviation might help mitigate contrail cirrus.
Victor Lannuque, Bastien Sauvage, Brice Barret, Hannah Clark, Gilles Athier, Damien Boulanger, Jean-Pierre Cammas, Jean-Marc Cousin, Alain Fontaine, Eric Le Flochmoën, Philippe Nédélec, Hervé Petetin, Isabelle Pfaffenzeller, Susanne Rohs, Herman G. J. Smit, Pawel Wolff, and Valérie Thouret
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 14535–14555, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14535-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14535-2021, 2021
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The African intertropical troposphere is one of the world areas where the increase in ozone mixing ratio has been most pronounced since 1980 and where high carbon monoxide mixing ratios are found in altitude. In this article, IAGOS aircraft measurements, IASI satellite instrument observations, and SOFT-IO model products are used to explore the seasonal distribution variations and the origin of ozone and carbon monoxide over the African upper troposphere.
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Short summary
We are interested in the prediction of condensation trails, in particular strong ones. For this we need a good forecast of temperature and humidity in the levels where aircraft cruise. Unfortunately, the humidity forecast is quite difficult for these levels, in particular the ice supersaturation, which is needed for long-lasting contrails. We are thus seeking proxy variables that help distinguish situations where strong contrails can form, for instance the lapse rate.
We are interested in the prediction of condensation trails, in particular strong ones. For this...
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