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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
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Atmospheric Effects of Aviation

A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project

Panel on Atmospheric Effects of Aviation

Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate

Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.
1999

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
×

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

Support for this project was provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under grant NASW-4938 order No. 109. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the above-mentioned agency.

Additional copies of this report are available from:
National Academy Press
2101 Constitution Ave., NW Box 285 Washington, DC 20055 800-624-6242 202-334-3313 (in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area) www.nap.edu

Copyright 1999 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
×

PANEL ON ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS OF AVIATION THAT PREPARED THIS REPORT

ALBERT J. KAEHN (Chair), Brigadier General,

U.S. Air Force, retired

*JACK G. CALVERT,

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

GEORGE F. CARRIER,

Harvard University (emeritus), Boston, Massachusetts

*ANTONY D. CLARKE,

University of Hawaii, Honolulu

DIETER H. EHHALT,

Institute für Atmosphärische Chemie, Jülich, Germany

*DAVID J. ERICKSON III,

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

*CLAIRE GRANIER,

Université Paris, France; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, Colorado

EDWARD M. GREITZER,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

*PHILIPPE MIRABEL,

Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France

MICHAEL OPPENHEIMER,

Environmental Defense Fund, New York, New York

W. GEORGE N. SLINN,

Cascade Scientific Research Corporation, Richland, Washington

*KNUT H. STAMNES,

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

Staff

ELLEN F. RICE, Study Director (through 9/98)

LAURIE S. GELLER, Program Officer

TENECIA A. BROWN, Senior Program Assistant

*  

Members of the subsonic working group

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
×

CURRENT PANEL ON ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS OF AVIATION

PAUL WINE (Chair),

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia

GEORGE CARRIER,

Harvard University, (Emeritus), Boston, Massachusetts

DAVID ERICKSON III,

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

NICHOLAS KRULL,

Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines, retired

JOHN MCCONNELL,

York University, Ontario, Canada

PHILIPPE MIRABEL,

Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France

MICHAEL OPPENHEIMER,

Environmental Defense Fund, New York, New York

KAREN ROSENLOF,

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, Colorado

LYNN RUSSELL,

Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

CHESTER SPICER,

Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio

Staff

LAURIE S. GELLER, Program Officer

TENECIA A. BROWN, Senior Program Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
×

BOARD ON ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES AND CLIMATE

ERIC J. BARRON (Co-Chair),

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

JAMES R. MAHONEY (Co-Chair),

International Technology Corporation, Torrance, California

SUSAN K. AVERY, CIRES,

University of Colorado, Boulder

LANCE F. BOSART,

State University of New York, Albany

MARVIN A. GELLER,

State University of New York, Stony Brook

DONALD M. HUNTEN,

University of Arizona, Tucson

JOHN IMBRIE,

Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

CHARLES E. KOLB,

Aerodyne Research, Inc., Billerica, Massachusetts

THOMAS J. LENNON,

Weather Services International, Billerica, Massachusetts

MARK R. SCHOEBERL,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

JOANNE SIMPSON,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

NIEN DAK SZE,

Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts

Staff

ELBERT W. (JOE) FRIDAY, Jr. , Director

H. FRANK EDEN, Senior Program Officer

DAVID SLADE, Senior Program Officer

LAURIE S. GELLER, Program Officer

PETER A. SCHULTZ, Program Officer

DIANE GUSTAFSON, Administrative Associate

TENECIA A. BROWN, Senior Program Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
×

COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES

GEORGE M. HORNBERGER (Chair),

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

PATRICK R. ATKINS,

Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

JERRY F. FRANKLIN,

University of Washington, Seattle

B. JOHN GARRICK,

PLG Incorporated, St. George, Utah

THOMAS E. GRAEDEL,

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

DEBRA KNOPMAN,

Progressive Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.

KAI N. LEE,

Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts

JUDITH E. MCDOWELL,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

RICHARD A. MESERVE,

Covington & Burling, Washington, D.C.

HUGH C. MORRIS,

Canadian Global Change Program, Delta, British Columbia

RAYMOND A. PRICE,

Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario

H. RONALD PULLIAM,

University of Georgia, Athens

THOMAS C. SCHELLING,

University of Maryland, College Park

VICTORIA J. TSCHINKEL,

Landers and Parsons, Tallahassee, Florida

E-AN ZEN,

University of Maryland, College Park

MARY LOU ZOBACK,

United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

Staff

ROBERT HAMILTON, Executive Director

GREGORY SYMMES, Assistant Executive Director

JEANETTE SPOON, Administrative Officer

SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate

MARQUITA SMITH, Administrative Assistant/Technology Analyst

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
×

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
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Preface

This report is the fourth assessment provided to the NASA Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project (AEAP) by the National Research Council's Panel on the Atmospheric Effects of Aviation (PAEAN). The AEAP has two parts, the Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft (AESA) component and the Subsonic Assessment (SASS) component. The SASS project, which is the subject of this report, has the goal of assessing the environmental impacts of both the current and future fleets of subsonic civil transport aircraft. Begun in late 1993, SASS has sponsored field campaigns, laboratory studies, and atmospheric modeling efforts. The panel focuses here on SASS's recent self-evaluation, Atmospheric Effects of Subsonic Aircraft: Interim Assessment Report of the Advanced Subsonic Technology Program, and on the project's strategic plan for the next few years.

Panel members were selected to provide expertise in field observations, laboratory chemistry, atmospheric dynamics and modeling, aircraft engines, and climate. NASA's charge to the panel is to evaluate the appropriateness of the SASS research plan, to appraise the project-sponsored results relative to the current state of scientific knowledge, to identify key scientific uncertainties, and to suggest research activities likely to reduce those uncertainties. PAEAN has already published a series of three interim evaluations of AEAP: An Interim Review of the Subsonic Assessment Project and An Interim Assessment of AEAP's Emissions Characterization and Near-Field Interactions Elements in 1997, and An Interim Review of the AESA Project: Science and Progress in 1998. A final evaluation of AESA is currently under way. The primary audience for these

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
×

reports is the program managers and scientists affiliated with AEAP, although in some cases the topics discussed will likely be of interest to a wider audience.

The panel appreciates the dedication of its longtime study director Ellen Rice, as well as the support of its new staff officer Laurie Geller. We are also grateful to the researchers and managers who have provided briefings and reports to keep the panel apprised of the progress of SASS and related research programs.

This report has been reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the authors and the NRC in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The content of the review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report:

Alan Epstein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Thomas Graedel, Yale University

Matthew Hitchman, University of Wisconsin

Sonia Kreidenweis, Colorado State University

Shaw Liu, Georgia Institute of Technology

John Seinfeld, California Institute of Technology

While the individuals listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, responsibility for the final content of this report rests solely with the authors and the NRC.

ALBERT J. KAEHN, JR.

FORMER PAEAN CHAIR

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Atmospheric Effects of Aviation: A Review of NASA's Subsonic Assessment Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6409.
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Aviation is an integral part of the global transportation network, and the number of flights worldwide is expected to grow rapidly in the coming decades. Yet, the effects that subsonic aircraft emissions may be having upon atmospheric composition and climate are not fully understood. To study such issues, NASA sponsors the Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Program (AEAP). The NRC Panel on Atmospheric Effects of Aviation is charged to evaluate AEAP, and in this report, the panel is focusing on the subsonic assessment (SASS) component of the program. This evaluation of SASS/AEAP was based on the report Atmospheric Effects of Subsonic Aircraft: Interim Assessment Report of the Advanced Sub-sonic Technology Program, on a strategic plan developed by SASS managers, and on other relevant documents.

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