2017

Comparisons of climate simulations in the target

Under the auspices of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP), hundreds of climate researchers in modeling centers around the world are working to share, compare and analyze the latest results of global climate models. Within the CMIP (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) project, in which the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics is participating, simulations of the research community provide important data for the next five to ten years.

IPA contributes to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project

As part of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) organized under the auspices of the World Climate Research Programme’s (WCRP) Working Group on Coupled Modelling (WGCM) many hundreds of climate researchers, working with modeling centres around the world, will share, compare and analyze the latest outcomes of global climate models. These model products will fuel climate research for the next 5 to 10 years, while its careful analysis will form the basis for future climate assessments and negotiations. The sixth phase of CMIP (CMIP6) is now underway with the WCRP Grand Science Challenges as its scientific backdrop. The DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IPA) will contribute to CMIP6 by running the ESMValTool routinely on model output submitted to the CMIP archive for a more systematic, open and rapid performance assessment of the large and diverse number of models. The Institute of Atmospheric Physics will also participate in CMIP6 by contributing simulations with the EMAC model.

Biofuels reduce soot emissions from aircraft

A fuel blend with 50 percent biofuel reduces soot particle emissions of the aircraft by 50 to 70 percent compared to conventional fuel, according to a study published in the scientific journal Nature. The findings are based on an international flight experiment between NASA, the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics and the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada.

Two Petabyte of Data for Climate Research

Climate change with its ecologic and economic consequences is one of the major societal challenges. Sustainable strategies have to be globally developed to define measures for the protection of the sensitive climate system. As a prerequisite it is necessary to have a deep understanding of the complex environmental processes that contribute to climate change. Researchers of the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics could now provide an important contribution.

Climate-friendly aircraft routing could significantly reduce climate impact of aviation

With only little changes to aircraft routings, a reduction of the climate impact of 10% for transatlantic flights can be achieved at only small cost increases of around 1%. This result was achieved within the European REACT4C project, which was led by the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics, comprising an international team from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and the UK.

Atmospheric research around the globe

Since almost five years the German research aircraft HALO (High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft) is operated to explore the environment and the climate in the stratosphere, the Arctic and Antarctic, and to collect atmospheric data around the world.

Onboard wake vortex prediction including avoidance maneuvers demonstrated in flight tests

The onboard wake vortex prediction system WEAA (Wake Encounter Avoidance & Advisory) has been tested during flights of the DLR research aircraft ATRA in November and December 2016. The system predicts potentially hazardous wake vortices employing meteorological data and navigational data of the leading aircraft; it further detects potential conflicts and suggests appropriate avoidance maneuvers.