This report provides a scientific assessment of our knowledge concerning the impact of proposed high-speed civil transport (HSCT) aircraft on the atmosphere. The fundamental problem with stratospheric flight is that pollutant residence times are long because the stratosphere is a region of permanent temperature inversion with stable stratification. Using improved two-dimensional assessment models and detailed fleet emissions scenarios, the assessment examines the possible impact of the range of effluents from aircraft. Emphasis is placed on the effects of NO(x) and H2O on the atmospheric ozone content. Measurements in the plume of an in-flight Concorde supersonic transport indicated a large number of small particles. These measurements, coupled with model sensitivity studies, point out the importance of obtaining a more detailed understanding of the fate of sulfur in the HSCT exhaust. Uncertainties in the current understanding of the processes important for determining the overall effects of HSCT's on the atmosphere are discussed and partially quantified. Research directions are identified to improve the quantification of uncertainties and to reduce their magnitude.


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    Title :

    1995 Scientific Assessment of the Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1995


    Size :

    106 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English