An Analysis of Local Climate Effects : a Case Study of the Lviv International Airport

Abstract

The effect of aircraft emissions on the global climate is a serious long-term environmental issue faced by the aviation industry. As the number of passengers grows, so does the use of jet fuel and the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). This may destabilize the world's climatic systems, which will consequently lead to global, regional and local environmental, economic and social damage. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that aircrafts are currently responsible for 3.5 % of the total anthropogenic greenhouse effect. To avoid the negative consequences of climate change, it is necessary to fully understand factors affecting this problem locally and develop methods of mitigating airport climate effects. This article describes and analyses calculations of radiative forcing of aircraft emissions and the radiative impact of clouds in the surrounding area of the Lviv airport. The calculated values were verified against temperature data for the city and at the airport provided by meteorological authorities.(original abstract)

Keywords

• Airports
• Gas emissions
• Climate change
• Greenhouse effect