Institute for Atmospheric Physics

Institute of Atmospheric Physics
Affiliation: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany

Prof. Dr. Markus Rapp
Head of the Institute, Oberpfaffenhofen-Wessling

Institute of Atmospheric Physics

The Institute of Atmospheric Physics investigates the physics and chemistry of the global atmosphere from the Earth's surface up to the upper boundary of the middle atmosphere at about 120 km height. As an institute of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) we answer questions associated with atmospheric processes and with relevance to the research programmes "Aeronautics, Space, and Transportation" and "Energy" of the Helmholtz Association (HGF).

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News

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Aviation-induced cirrus cover detected from diurnal cycle over North Atlantic

August 2012
Linear cirrus clouds of ice particles, so-called contrails, are often visible behind cruising aircraft. Contrails have been identified from their linear structure in satellite data. However, the total amount of cirrus cover could only be estimated from model simulations. For the first time the cover by aviation-induced cirrus clouds was observed from Meteosat satellite observations using traffic data provided by EUROCONTROL.

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50 years Institute of Atmospheric Physics

June 2012
The DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics celebrates its 50th anniversary. The institute was founded on 1 July 1962 from two precursory institutes, the Institute of Aviation Meteorology and the Institute of Airspace Research. This event will be acknowledged by a scientific colloquium on 29 June 2012 with contributions by invited speakers from different countries.

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Measurement flights on the formation of ozone by thunderstorms

June 2012
Thunderstorms have a significant effect on the formation of ozone. Nitrogen oxide is produced as a result of lightning; this in turn yields ozone at altitudes of 10 kilometres. Strong updraughts in thunderstorms also transport emissions from the ground into the upper atmosphere. But how significant is this effect – compared to aviation, for example? Researchers of the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics, in collaboration with the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), NASA and other partners, are studying such questions. To this end, they will be conducting measurement flights in the United States until mid-June. The researchers are looking to increase the existing body of data and gain a better understanding of the processes that take place in thunderstorms.

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DLR's Falcon research aircraft deployed in Malaysia

November 2011
Favoured by severe weather conditions during the rainy season and the large-scale circulation of air masses in the western Pacific, short-lived natural chlorinated and brominated compounds compounds may be able to reach the stratosphere, and thus have an impact on the ozone layer. Particularly strong sources of these compounds are thought to exist in the tropical western Pacific. But the role of these natural halogen compounds in ozone depletion is largely unexplored. Answers are expected from the European-Malaysian project SHIVA (Stratospheric ozone: Halogen Impacts in a Varying Atmosphere) in which the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics participates.

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DLR receives a contract for vulcanic ash flights with Falcon from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center

June 2011
The recent eruption of the Icelandic volcano Grimsvötn has again elucidated that airborne measurements of the volcanic ash concentration are important for the validation of forecasts of ash transport into the European airspace. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) of the UK Met Office has charged DLR with respective measurements using the Falcon aircraft in case of any further eruption of Grimsvötn.

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