Fuel sulfur content can modulate contrail ice crystal numbers
Abstract In recent efforts to reduce the radiative forcing of aviation, fuel design has gained increased attention. Sustainable Aviation Fuels are seeing wider adoption, and their positive impact on carbon dioxide and non-volatile soot particle emissions is well-established. However, the effects of the reduction in fuel sulfur content on volatile particle emissions and contrails are unknown. This study presents observations from in-flight measurements of emissions and contrails of an Airbus A350-900 burning fuels with different sulfur contents. We find a reduction in volatile particles and contrail ice crystals for low-sulfur fuels. For higher fuel sulfur contents, our findings demonstrate an additional contrail ice particle source through activation of sulfate aerosols. Our data-driven results need to be consolidated by in-flight observations with different fuels and engines. Eventually, climate impact estimates as well as regulations should account for the modulating effect of the fuel sulfur content on contrail ice particle numbers.
Authors
- Daniel Sauer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0317-5063)
- Mark Johnson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8424-3197)
- Andreas Marsing (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5006-2133)
- Patrick Le Clercq (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6011-5625)
- Andreas Dörnbrack (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0936-0216)
- Rebecca Dischl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3519-9905)
- Charles Renard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1772-0691)
- Denise Ahrens
- Christiane Voigt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8925-7731)
- Georg Eckel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6922-8279)
- Theresa Harlaß
- Reetu Sallinen
- Fangqun Yu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8862-4835)
- Raphael Märkl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0451-2084)
- Stefan Kaufmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0767-1996)
- Maxime Gauthier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4959-5425)
- Monika Scheibe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8509-1252)
- Anke Roiger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3399-5190)
- Peter Swann
- Valerian Hahn
Institutions
- Airbus (France) (FR)
- Rolls-Royce (Germany) (DE)
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR) (DE)
- University at Albany, State University of New York (US)
- Neste Oil (Finland) (FI)
- Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom) (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Communications Earth & Environment
- Published
- 2025-11-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02951-5
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Aircraft Design and Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.11
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- European Commission
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt
- HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme