Articles | Volume 25, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2515-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2515-2025
Research article
 | 
27 Feb 2025
Research article |  | 27 Feb 2025

Multi-model assessment of the atmospheric and radiative effects of supersonic transport aircraft

Jurriaan A. van 't Hoff, Didier Hauglustaine, Johannes Pletzer, Agnieszka Skowron, Volker Grewe, Sigrun Matthes, Maximilian M. Meuser, Robin N. Thor, and Irene C. Dedoussi

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Cited articles

Berton, J. J., Huff, D. L., Geiselhart, K., and Seidel, J.: Supersonic Technology Concept Aeroplanes for Environmental Studies, in: AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2020-0263, 2020. 
Bey, I., Jacob, D. J., Yantosca, R. M., Logan, J. A., Field, B. D., Fiore, A. M., Li, Q., Liu, H. Y., Mickley, L. J., and Schultz, M. G.: Global modeling of tropospheric chemistry with assimilated meteorology: Model description and evaluation, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 106, 23073–23095, 2001. 
Bian, H. and Prather, M. J.: Fast-J2: Accurate simulation of stratospheric photolysis in global chemical models, J. Atmos. Chem., 41, 281–296, 2002. 
Boucher, O., Servonnat, J., Albright, A. L., Aumont, O., Balkanski, Y., Bastrikov, V., Bekki, S., Bonnet, R., Bony, S., and Bopp, L.: Presentation and evaluation of the IPSL-CM6A-LR climate model, J. Adv. Model. Earth Sy., 12, e2019MS002010, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019MS002010, 2020.​​​​​​​ 
Burkholder, J. B., Sander, S. P., Abbatt, J. P. D., Barker, J. R., Cappa, C., Crounse, J. D., Dibble, T. S., Huie, R. E., Kolb, C. E., Kurylo, M. J., Orkin, V. L., Percival, C. J., Wilmouth, D. M., and Wine, P. H.: Chemical Kinetics and Photochemical Data for Use in Atmospheric Studies, Evaluation No. 19, JPL Publication 19-5, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, http://jpldataeval.jpl.nasa.gov (last access: 26 February 2025), 2019.​​​​​​​ 
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Short summary
Civil supersonic aircraft may return in the near future, and their emissions could lead to atmospheric changes which are detrimental to public health and the climate. We use four atmospheric chemistry models and show that emissions from a future supersonic aircraft fleet increase stratospheric nitrogen and water vapor levels, while depleting the global ozone column and leading to increases in radiative forcing. Their impacts can be reduced by reducing NOx emissions or the cruise altitude.

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