CAS/GAW/SSC March 2016 Aeronautical Meteorology

WMO role in aviation MET One of the purposes of the WMO is “…to further the application of meteorology to aviation…” (WMO Convention, Article 2..) WMO together with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) establish the regulatory framework for meteorological (MET) service for international air navigation The purpose of the MET service to aviation is: “to contribute to safety, efficiency and regularity” of the air transport

Aviation MET Service Regulated by ICAO and WMO – ICAO Annex 3, WMO Technical Regulations – Vol II; standards and recommended practices Service levels:  Global Service – World Ares Forecast System (WAFS)  Local Service – aerodromes and terminal areas  Regional Service – SIGMET, volcanic ash, tropical cyclones advisories Users – airlines, ATC, airports, search and rescue, others

Volcanic ash Jet aircraft engines may be damaged by volcanic ash during flight Volcanic ash – finely fragmented rock and minerals  fine-grained ( 100 microns)  hard and angular (= highly abrasive)  melts in jet engines (clogs engines and causes stalling) Global Volcanism  ~ 575 “historically” active terrestrial volcanoes  ~ 200 of these have some type of geophysical monitoring or observation  ~ 12 eruptions annually with VEI of 2+ affecting “cruise-altitude” airspace

Volcanic ash

Impacts and damage (in flight) abrasion of windows and exterior surfaces plugging of inlets and pitot system erosion of engine parts accumulation of melted ash in engine

Impacts and damage (on the ground) contamination of airport surfaces and aircraft reduction of visibility ash is slippery when wet – affects braking and turning

International Airways Volcano Watch (IAVW) 9 Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAAC) – detect VA clouds and forecast their evolution VAACs issue VA advisory in alphanumeric and graphical format States’ Meteorological Watch Offices (MWO) issue VA SIGMET Pilots issue special AIREP when VA observed States’ volcano observatories monitor active volcanoes and notify of their status through a color code Air Traffic Control (ATC) inform aircraft-in-flight of potential VA encounter Airline dispatchers and flight planners conduct risk analysis during the pre-flight planning based on all information available

IAVW Improvements Quantitative VA information Better detection – remote: satellite and ground-based; in-situ Better forecast and better representation (graphics) Better understanding of impacts SO2 – impacts, detection, forecasting Integration in users’ decision-making

IAVW Improvements

Other areas of interest Dust and sand – impact on visibility but also potential damage High Ice Water Content (HIWC) – ingest of small ice crystals into jet engines – potential hazard – Since early 1990s - over 150 engine roll-back and power-loss events have been attributed to ingest of high concentrations of ice particles produced in convective cloud processes – HAIC (High Altitude Ice Crystals) EU project -developing appropriate detection and awareness technologies to be fitted on aircraft is one of objectives Release of radioactive material

Other areas of interest QMS – aviation is the only WMO service area with mandatory requirement for implementation of QMS by service providers (most AMSPs obtain ISO 9000 certificate) WMO Quality Management Framework (QMF) encompasses QM aliments of other programmed, e.g, GAW WMO competency standards – mandatory for aeronautical meteorological personnel (AMP) since 1 December 2013

Working bodies and events WMO Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology (CAeM)  Expert Team on Aviation, Science and Climate (ET-ASC) ICAO – MET Panel; WG MET Information and Services Development (MISD); MET Operations Group (MOG) WMO/IUGG Volcanic Ash Scientific Advisory Group (VASAG) Events:  VAAC Best Practice Workshop (2016: April, Buenos Aires)  WMO International Workshop on Volcanic Ash – every 2-3 years  VASAG – yearly meetings More info:

Thank you