The impact of flying isn’t just about carbon emissions! Do you know that there are other footprints in the sky?
What are non-CO2 emissions?
When an airplane flies, the engine emits much more that just carbon dioxide.
- Soot particles
- Water vapour
- Nitrogen oxides
from exhaust plumes are also emitted and interact with the atmosphere.
Non-CO2 emissions interact with the atmosphere and also create:
- Contrails
- Contrails cirrus
The effects of these non-CO2 emissions
- Nitrogen oxides (NOx): alter the composition of the air, increase ozone (O3) and reduce methane (CH4)
- Soot particles: act as nuclei for water condensation and freezing and promote contrail formation
- Water vapour at high altitude: amplifies the greenhouse effect
The result: a global warming effect sometimes comparable to, or even greater than, that of CO2 emissions..
What PACIFIC does to tackle this challenge?
PACIFIC studies how fuel composition and the engine cycle influence non-CO2 emissions.
Objective: to better model, predict and reduce the climate impact of aviation