Damage accelerates ice shelf instability and mass loss in Amundsen Sea Embayment

Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier in the Amundsen Sea Embayment are among the fastest changing outlet glaciers in West Antarctica with large consequences for global sea level. Yet, assessing how much and how fast both glaciers will weaken if these changes continue remains a major uncertainty as many of the processes that control their...

Assessing and Modelling Climate Optimal Flights Using Open Surveillance and Remote Sensing Data

Sustainability is the biggest challenge facing the aerospace industry today. With the global number of flights expected to rise, the climate impact of aviation will continue to increase. Current research states that the rerouting of aircraft through wind-optimisation for the purpose of fuel usage minimisation and emission reduction is an...

Examining Contrail Formation Models with Open Flight and Remote Sensing Data

One of the biggest challenges facing the aerospace industry today is its sustainability. As the number of flights is expected to rise globally, aviation’s climate impact will continue to increase. Current research has extensively addressed the rerouting of aircraft through wind-optimization in order to minimize fuel burn and emissions. Such...

Aerosol Absorption from Global Satellite Measurements in the Ultra-Violet: From Qualitative Aerosol Index to Quantitative Aerosol Absorptive Properties

Atmospheric aerosols are solid or liquid particles suspended in the air. The majority of them are produced by natural processes, including sea salt from oceans, mineral dust from (semi-)arid regions, carbon containing particles from wildfires, and sulfates and ash from volcanic activities. Anthropogenic aerosols are produced by industrial...

Contrail Altitude Estimation Based on Shadows Detected in Landsat Imagery

Contrails contribute to global warming by trapping outgoing terrestrial radiation, exerting an immediate warming influence on the climate. The climatic impact of contrails is potentially comparable to that of aviation’s carbon emissions. This underlines the importance of minimizing contrail formation to mitigate the climate effects of aviation,...

Contrail minimization through altitude diversions: A feasibility study leveraging global data

As global flight volume rises, the aviation industry is facing increasing climate challenges. One major factor is the impact of contrails, which trap outgoing terrestrial radiation and counteract emission reduction benefits from emission-optimized flight routes. Our study quantifies contrail-forming flights globally and assesses altitude...