EUNADICS-AV was subdivided into eight WPs with WP1 responsible for the entire project coordination, WP2 dealing with user requirements and sustainability activities, WP3 aiming at integration, harmonisation and thus enhancement of the expanding European observing capabilities for environmental airborne hazards (including the development of tailored products), WP4 with the integration and assimilation of tailored observational products integrated and assimilated into dispersion models, WP5 with hazard early warning capabilities, WP7 with the testing of the end-to-end EUNADICS-AV service chain, and finally WP8 with the dissemination and interface of results and data towards selected target groups e.g. via the EUNADICS-AV website (www.eunadics.eu) or the EUNADICS-AV data portal (www.data.eunadics.eu).
Integrating all project developments, a major highlight of EUNADICS-AV was the demonstration exercise in March 2019. During this international civil and military demonstration exercise all project objectives were tested within an end-to-end reaction chain setting (see Fig. 1). For this purpose, a fictitious eruption of the Etna volcano and a fictitious nuclear hazard scenario were simulated. Starting with the detection of the event and the issuing of EUNADICS-AV early warning products, concentration charts of the hazardous substances were produced applying ensemble techniques. These charts, providing an important basis for decision making in the aviation domain, were made available to various stakeholders present on-site. Finally, the concentration analysis data were integrated into flight trajectory simulation software used by airlines to plan their flights. Using a cost-based avoidance approach, the EUNADICS-AV data helped to re-route airplanes potentially affected by the hazardous event. The exercise also integrated data from a tracer release experiment conducted in September 2018 at two locations, one in Germany and the other in Austria. At these sites, tracer substances were released and subsequently measured/detected by aircrafts operated by DLR, the University of Duesseldorf and the Austrian Air Forces.
The demonstration exercise clearly showed the high potential of the EUNADICS-AV products, and their direct applicability and usability within already existing systems. Furthermore, the attendance of experts covering a variety of relevant fields, ranging from data specialists and modelers to flight simulators, airline dispatchers and aviation experts from both the civil and military side, provided a good opportunity to get to know each other, learning from each other and to discuss various needs and requirements coming up during a crisis. One of the major lessons learned was that a seamless integration of concentration data of hazardous substances into flight planning/trajectory optimization software would allow airlines to conduct most of the flights potentially affected by the hazardous events, to avoid flight cancellations and to minimize delays (compare Fig. 2). On the longer run, such a system would foster automated procedures of flight planning as well as air traffic management to maintain the flow also under adverse condition.
Building on this proof-of-concept and the attention raised for EUNADICS-AV and its relevant outcomes, intensive exploitation and dissemination activities took place in the final phase of the project. The project was presented at various international events. Scientific results of EUNADICS-AV were published in more than 50 scientific papers so far, and presented at conferences like the EGU general assembly where an own EUNADICS-AV session was organized two times. Two open science days were conducted, one at the EUNADICS-AV mid-term assembly in Rome and one at the final assembly in Toulouse. There was a collaboration and interaction with the EU COST action “inDUST”. A special issue is currently being set up in the Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences Journal (
https://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/special_issue1022.html(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)). Finally, special attention was given to the exploitation of possible collaborations with relevant European key players and stakeholders in the air traffic domain. In this context, the exchange and cooperation with VAACs, EUROCONTROL, ICAO, the European Cockpit Association, SESAR or EASA as well as relevant national authorities was actively pursued throughout the project duration.
Due to the active continued involvement of major project participants in relevant fields and the operational exposure of the consortium, and due the continued follow-up within the EUMETNET network, the project impact is not expected to stop at the end. The general EUNADICS-AV ideas and concepts will make a difference in the field of natural hazard management and mitigation also in the coming decade.
