Evaluating the Significance of the Contrail Effect on Diurnal Temperature Range Using the Eyjafjallajökull Eruption‐Related Flight Disruption

Abstract Meteorological data collected during the post‐9/11 flight grounding in the United States suggested that the removal of contrails increased diurnal temperature range (DTR), but subsequent research has contested this result. The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption resulted in a 97% flight cancelat...

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Main Authors: Ajvir S. Sandhu, James U. L. Baldini
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-12-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080899
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author Ajvir S. Sandhu
James U. L. Baldini
author_facet Ajvir S. Sandhu
James U. L. Baldini
author_sort Ajvir S. Sandhu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Meteorological data collected during the post‐9/11 flight grounding in the United States suggested that the removal of contrails increased diurnal temperature range (DTR), but subsequent research has contested this result. The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption resulted in a 97% flight cancelation rate across the UK, offering another rare opportunity to compare DTR under contrail‐free skies against those with contrails. Temperature data from 199 UK meteorological stations indicate that a +3.4 °C DTR anomaly occurred during the grounding interval across the region previously affected by the highest flight densities, substantially larger than the +1.1 °C anomaly previously observed but smaller than other DTR anomalies (up to ~ +6 °C) that were independent of the grounding. Although the observed DTR anomalies are largely attributable to weather system migration, a contribution of up to +1 °C from contrail absence appears reconcilable with both the observed time evolution in DTR during the Eyjafjallajökull grounding period and previous results.
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spelling doaj-art-7af84fe585b24a4aaeed6a3f2902ec142025-08-20T03:49:37ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072018-12-01452313,09013,09810.1029/2018GL080899Evaluating the Significance of the Contrail Effect on Diurnal Temperature Range Using the Eyjafjallajökull Eruption‐Related Flight DisruptionAjvir S. Sandhu0James U. L. Baldini1Department of Earth Sciences Durham University, Science Laboratories Durham UKDepartment of Earth Sciences Durham University, Science Laboratories Durham UKAbstract Meteorological data collected during the post‐9/11 flight grounding in the United States suggested that the removal of contrails increased diurnal temperature range (DTR), but subsequent research has contested this result. The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption resulted in a 97% flight cancelation rate across the UK, offering another rare opportunity to compare DTR under contrail‐free skies against those with contrails. Temperature data from 199 UK meteorological stations indicate that a +3.4 °C DTR anomaly occurred during the grounding interval across the region previously affected by the highest flight densities, substantially larger than the +1.1 °C anomaly previously observed but smaller than other DTR anomalies (up to ~ +6 °C) that were independent of the grounding. Although the observed DTR anomalies are largely attributable to weather system migration, a contribution of up to +1 °C from contrail absence appears reconcilable with both the observed time evolution in DTR during the Eyjafjallajökull grounding period and previous results.https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080899climatecontrailsclimate changeanthropogenictemperature change
spellingShingle Ajvir S. Sandhu
James U. L. Baldini
Evaluating the Significance of the Contrail Effect on Diurnal Temperature Range Using the Eyjafjallajökull Eruption‐Related Flight Disruption
Geophysical Research Letters
climate
contrails
climate change
anthropogenic
temperature change
title Evaluating the Significance of the Contrail Effect on Diurnal Temperature Range Using the Eyjafjallajökull Eruption‐Related Flight Disruption
title_full Evaluating the Significance of the Contrail Effect on Diurnal Temperature Range Using the Eyjafjallajökull Eruption‐Related Flight Disruption
title_fullStr Evaluating the Significance of the Contrail Effect on Diurnal Temperature Range Using the Eyjafjallajökull Eruption‐Related Flight Disruption
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the Significance of the Contrail Effect on Diurnal Temperature Range Using the Eyjafjallajökull Eruption‐Related Flight Disruption
title_short Evaluating the Significance of the Contrail Effect on Diurnal Temperature Range Using the Eyjafjallajökull Eruption‐Related Flight Disruption
title_sort evaluating the significance of the contrail effect on diurnal temperature range using the eyjafjallajokull eruption related flight disruption
topic climate
contrails
climate change
anthropogenic
temperature change
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080899
work_keys_str_mv AT ajvirssandhu evaluatingthesignificanceofthecontraileffectondiurnaltemperaturerangeusingtheeyjafjallajokulleruptionrelatedflightdisruption
AT jamesulbaldini evaluatingthesignificanceofthecontraileffectondiurnaltemperaturerangeusingtheeyjafjallajokulleruptionrelatedflightdisruption