Impact of stratospheric aircraft on calculations of nitric acid trihydrate cloud surface area densities using NMC temperatures and 2D model constituent distributions
A parameterization of NAT (nitric acid trihydrate) clouds is developed for use in 2D models of the stratosphere. The parameterization uses model distributions of HNO3 and H2O to determine critical temperatures for NAT formation as a function of latitude and pressure. National Meteorological Center temperature fields are then used to determine monthly temperature frequency distributions, also as a function of latitude and pressure. The fractions of these distributions which fall below the critical temperatures for NAT formation are then used to determine the NAT cloud surface area density for each location in the model grid. By specifying heterogeneous reaction rates as functions of the surface area density, it is then possible to assess the effects of the NAT clouds on model constituent distributions. We also consider the increase in the NAT cloud formation in the presence of a fleet of stratospheric aircraft. The stratospheric aircraft NO(x) and H2O perturbations result in increased HNO3 as well as H2O. This increases the probability of NAT formation substantially, especially if it is assumed that the aircraft perturbations are confined to a corridor region.