ECO FLIGHT Activity

Atmospheric Observation
with commercial aircraft
Takeshi Honda, JAL Engineering
CONTRAIL Team（National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES),
Meterological Research Institute (MRI), JAMCO, JAL Foundation and JAL）

Atmospheric Observation in Global
Pictures from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Project with MRI, JAL and JAL Foundation, before 2005
Matsueda et al., 2002

1993-2005, Twice/month (CO2, CH4, CO)

ASE: Automatic Air Sampling Equipment

CONTRAIL project started in 2005

Continuous CO2 Measuring
Equipment （CME)

CME

CME

ASE

ASE

747-400(JA8917)
Nov/2005-747-400(JA8921)
Feb/2006-

Automatic Air Sampling
Equipment （ASE)

CME

CME

CME

777-200(JA705J)
Jun/2006-

777-200(JA703J)
Oct/2006-

777-200(JA707J)
Nov/2006-

747-400s were retired in 2010

Continuous CO2Measuring
Equipment （CME)

CME

CME

Automatic Air Sampling
Equipment （ASE)

CME

CME

CME

777-200(JA705J)
Jun/2006-

777-200(JA703J)
Oct/2006-

777-200(JA707J)
Nov/2006-

RetiredASEOct/2010ASE
747-400(JA8917)
Nov/2005-

747-400(JA8921)
Feb/2006-

Observation equipment were installed on 777 airplanes

Aft
Cargo
FWD
Cargo

CME:
CO2 Continuous
Measuring EquipmentAFT Front
Cargo Cargo

ASE:
Automatic Sampling
Equipment for CO2, CH4, CO,
N2O, SF6, H2, isotopes

8 777-200ER, 2 777-300ER were modified
CME

CME

ASE
777-200ER(JA705J)
Jun/2006-

CME

CME

ASE
777-200ER(JA703J)
Oct/2006-

CME

ASE
777-200ER(JA709J)
Sep/2012-

CME

CME

777-200ER(JA702J)
Mar/2013-

777-200ER(JA707J)
Nov/2006-

777-200ER(JA708J)
Jun/2012-

CME

CME

ASE

ASE

777-200ER(JA710J)
Jul/2013-

777-200ER(JA711J)
Aug/2013-

777-300ER(JA734J)
Feb/2015-

CME

777-300ER(JA733J)
Feb/2016-

Flight routes for CONTRAIL‐‐‐‐ CME■ NRT‐SYD■ NRT/HND‐CDG/DME■ NRT/HND‐BKKASE sampling on SYD-NRT

CO2 Concentration observed by ASE for each latitude since 1993

old ASE
new ASE
CME

Matsueda et al. (2015)

Matsueda et al. (2015)

Air Sampling between Europe and Japanby ASE Apr/2012-Mar/2014
by MSE Apr/2014-present

2012：GRENE observational plan for atmospheric greenhouse gases (NIES, MRI, NiPR, AIST, Tohoku Univ.)

MSE (Manual air Sampling Equipment)

Photographs were provided by Japan Airlines.
This picture was taken with special permission, securing flight safety.

Upper Troposphere (UT) & Lower Stratosphere (LS)

Lower
Stratosphere=20K
=10K
=0K(Boundary=2 PVU)

It is possible toobserve air of thestratosphere by
flying over highlatitude route.

=-10K
=-20K

Upper TroposphereHigh Latitude

Low Latitude

Variation of CO2 Concentration at UT & LS

50K<
37.5K<<50K
25K<<37.5K
12.5K<<25K
0K<<12.5K
<0K

Seasonal variation is totally different
at Troposphere and Stratosphere.

Sawa et al. GRL (2015)

Variation of CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6
CO250K<37.5K<<50K
25K<<37.5K
12.5K<<25K0K<<12.5K
<0K

CH4

N2OSF6
Sawa et al. GRL (2015)

Continuous observation by scheduled flights
Horizontal Distribution
VerticalDistribution

VerticalDistribution

・Highly Frequent Observation
・Wide Area of Observation
・Vertical Distribution can be observed (More data)
・Detailed Spatial Distribution can be observed

Flight Route with CME & # of Vertical Distribution Observation (～Feb/2017)

Number of flight 17,000
Vertical Distribution 27,000

CO2 Concentration over Narita

CONTRAIL TeamInstallation of CME & ASE to 787(Currently under study)Airplane Observation Project at Europe IAGOS-CORE

Obtained STC for A330 and A340, CO2/CH4
Observation Equipment on 16 December 2016.

The role of the CONTRAIL over airplane observation network worldwide
Volz‐Thomas et al. (2009)

International cooperation is important in order to have more data.
Observation over Asia and Pacific region is sparse compare toother region. Japan is contributing for the data in these area.
CONTRAIL Project (CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6) is performed by Japan
Airlines, while MOZAIC & CARIBIC Project (H2O, O3) are performed
by Air France, Air Namibia, Austrian, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines,
Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, LTU, Lufthansa, Sabena.(CO2 just started)Thank you.