Project 42 seeks to enhance the evaluation of climate metrics capabilities and limitations in the context of aviation’s impact on climate change, analyzing key uncertainties associated with these metrics, and, to the extent possible, make recommendations about how best to use these metrics to gauge aviation-induced climate change. The purpose of the metrics analyses is to meet the need for better linking of aviation emissions with climate impacts, with specific attention to evaluating and further developing aviation climate impacts metrics (including change in surface temperature), and to interrelate aviation climate impacts (CO₂ and non-CO₂ effects) on various time horizons to help develop better understanding of impacts due to emissions tradeoffs.

This study will examine the validity of results from simplified parametric aviation climate impacts models against those derived from the use of comprehensive models both for present and future conditions. A wide range of comprehensive and parametric modeling studies will be used in these analyses, including those from PARTNER, FAA, and ACCRI supported studies, from the research literature, including those from European programs, and from Project 42 modeling studies. The study will coordinate with PARTNER and ACCRI program, using their datasets and model outputs where possible.

ANTICIPATED OUTCOME

A better understanding of the role of aviation in climate change, and evaluation of the modeling tools that incorporate increased knowledge of the science involved, with the goal of informing policy.

PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITY

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

LEAD INVESTIGATOR

Donald J. Wuebbles, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, wuebbles@illinois.edu

FAA PROGRAM MANAGER

Rangasayi Halthore rangasayi.halthore@faa.gov