2013

More safety in air traffic - early detection of air turbulence

New results in atmospheric research indicate that climate change will increase possible encounters of turbulence by cruising aircraft. A method to detect turbulences was now developed for the first time within the European project DELICAT (Demonstration of LIDAR based Clear Air Turbulence detection) by scientists of the DLR Institute for Atmospheric Physics.

New concepts to reduce climate effects of aviation: DLR project WeCare started

In the beginning of June the kick-off meeting of the new DLR project WeCare took place. A couple of DLR institutes participate in this project which is led by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics. WeCare runs until 2017.

SALTRACE-Falcon-campaign on climate effects of Saharan dust started

Within the international project SALTRACE scientists of the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics perform airborne measurements with the DLR research aircraft Falcon on the Cape Verdes and the Caribbean. The effect of dust from deserts on clouds and weather is a great uncertainty in climate prediction. The scientists aim at better understanding the climate effects of such small particles.

New findings about the arctic ozone layer

As a major finding of the EU project RECONCILE, which was completed in February 2013, it is expected that, according to recent measurements, the ozone layer over the North Pole should recover by the end of the century. Scientists from 35 research institutions, among them the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of DLR, and universities in 14 countries spent four years investigating the chemical process of ozone depletion. Their findings verified once again that chlorine compounds are indeed responsible for this. The scientists used the new insights to improve existing climate models. These models facilitate more reliable predictions on how the ozone layer will develop in future and on the possible consequences of climate change for the stratosphere.

WxFUSION – Forecasting of weather hazards – HGF supports the start-up of a new company

The novel system “WxFUSION” for forecasting thunderstorms has been developed at the department of cloud physics and traffic meteorology of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics. The technology uses satellite and ground-based radar data to identify, track and forecast thunderstorms up to one hour. In addition, the system automatically sends thunderstorm warnings via email as soon as a thunderstorm is detected within 100 km of a chosen location, e.g. an airport. Overall, the new technology contributes to increase safety and efficiency in aviation. The high temporal and spatial resolution of the thunderstorm information, every 5th minute and every 1km at best, and output in an international standard format aiming at a small data volume are considerable benefits for the users. This allows the data also to be transmitted into the cockpit of aircraft via data link technology.

'Atmospheric Physics' – a distinguished book about atmospheric research

The Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IPA) at DLR celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012. On this occasion, a book titled 'Atmospheric Physics: Background – Methods – Trends' has been published. Editor is Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schumann who led the institute from 1992 to 2012. The book should bring a better understanding of the diverse subject areas and capabilities within the institute to a wide readership. The goal is to reach the many people who come into contact with atmospheric physics in their work, be this in science, education, a wide range of institutions or the numerous partners collaborating with the Institute of Atmospheric Physics. The book has now received its first award – on 9 January 2013, at the conference of the American Meteorological Society, Atmospheric Science Librarians International announced that the book had received an honorable mention in the Science category 'Best Books of the Year' for its outstanding topical contributions.