- The Arctic is warming faster than other regions on Earth. But how do Arctic ice clouds contribute to this?
- Contrail cirrus clouds contribute more to the climate impact of air transport than carbon dioxide emissions. In which weather conditions can they be avoided and at which time of day do they have the least warming effect? These questions must be addressed to plan climate-friendly flights.
- The HALO research aircraft is flying from Central Europe to the Arctic region equipped with extensive cloud measurement instruments. Approximately 25 flights are planned.
- Focus: Aeronautics, atmospheric research, climate-friendly flight
Depending on the position of the Sun, the time of day and various other factors, the thin, high cirrus clouds over the Arctic have a predominantly warming effect. So far, however, almost no cirrus cloud measurements have been conducted at high latitudes, and climate models do not take these into account to a sufficient degree. In July 2021, the German research aircraft HALO is flying to Northern Europe and the Arctic, among other destinations. The aim is to gain a better understanding of how cirrus clouds contribute towards the particularly strong warming of this region. The 70-member research team is also looking at the effects of air traffic on Central Europe, where the skies are very congested. The researchers are investigating at what time of day contrail cirrus clouds have the weakest warming effect and whether their creation can be avoided under certain weather conditions. This could be of great value for climate-friendly flight planning. Nine atmospheric research institutes and universities are involved in the CIRRUS in High Latitudes (CIRRUS-HL) mission. The point of departure is the Oberpfaffenhofen site of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR).
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