Emission Measurements of the Concorde Supersonic Aircraft in the
Lower Stratosphere
D. W. Fahey,
E. R. Keim,
K. A. Boering,
C. A. Brock,
J. C. Wilson (1),
H. H. Jonsson,
S. Anthony,
T. F. Hanisco,
P. O. Wennberg,
R. C. Miake-Lye,
R. J. Salawitch,
N. Louisnard,
E. L. Woodbridge,
R. S. Gao,
S. G. Donnelly,
R. C. Wamsley,
L. A. Del Negro,
S. Solomon,
B. C. Daube,
S. C. Wofsy,
C. R. Webster,
R. D. May,
K. K. Kelly,
M. Loewenstein,
J. R. Podolske,
K. R. Chan
Emission indices of reactive gases and particles were determined
from measurements in the exhaust plume of a Concorde aircraft cruising
at supersonic speeds in the stratosphere. Values for
NO
(sum of NO and NO
) agree
well with ground-based estimates. Measurements of
NO and HO
indicate a limited role for nitric acid in the plume. The large number
of submicrometer particles measured implies efficient conversion of
fuel sulfur to sulfuric acid in the engine or at emission. A new fleet
of supersonic aircraft with similar particle emissions would
significantly increase stratospheric aerosol surface areas and may
increase ozone loss above that expected for
NO emissions alone.
D. W. Fahey, E. R. Keim, S. Solomon, K. K. Kelly, Aeronomy
Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
K. A. Boering, B. C. Daube, S. C. Wofsy, Department of Earth and
Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
C. A. Brock, J. C. Wilson, H. H. Jonsson, Department of Engineering,
University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA.
S. Anthony, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science
(CIRES), University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
T. F. Hanisco and P. O. Wennberg, Department of Chemistry, Harvard
University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
R. C. Miake-Lye, Aerodyne Research, Billerica, MA 01821, USA.
R. J. Salawitch, C. R. Webster, R. D. May, Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
N. Louisnard, Office National d´Études et de Recherches
Aerospatiales (ONERA), Paris, France.
E. L. Woodbridge, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of
California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
R. S. Gao, S. G. Donnelly, R. C. Wamsley, L. A. Del Negro, NOAA
Aeronomy Laboratory, Boulder, CO 80303, and CIRES, University of
Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
M. Loewenstein, J. R. Podolske, K. R. Chan, National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
94035, USA.
(1) To whom correspondence should be addressed.
