Lab releases global aviation emissions dataset

A global emissions dataset for civil aviation emissions now available. The dataset contains three-dimensional gridded emissions for (scheduled) civil aviation for 2005. This dataset represents the most current estimate of global aviation emissions that is publicly available. It is intended to be of use to researchers in areas including atmospheric modeling and aviation and the environment. For example, it is currently being incorporated into the standard release of the community atmospheric chemistry-transport model GEOS-Chem.

The dataset was generated using the Aviation Emissions Inventory Code (AEIC). AEIC is an open source emissions inventory tool that has been under development for the last three years, initially at the University of Cambridge for aircraft landing and takeoff emissions, and then at MIT for full-flight emissions. A brief overview of AEIC and more details on the emissions dataset are available in lab report LAE-2012-012-N. The landing and takeoff emissions portion of the code was described in Atmospheric Environment in 2011. A publication and release of the full-flight emissions code is planned for early 2013.