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Vapor trails or contrails, which are emitted by the exhaust of aircraft engines, act as a radiating force affecting the earth's radiation balance. These contrails in some cases form cirrus coverage, which cannot be differentiated from the natural cirrus clouds, which are atmospheric clouds, distinguished by their thin and wispy strand-like appearance. Contrails contain traces of black carbon soot, sulphates, nitrogen oxides and to a lesser extent of metallic particles. Studies have found that vapor trails or contrails trap the outgoing radiation emitted by the earth's surface and atmosphere at a very high rate and they throw back the incoming solar radiation. The environmental effects and thermodynamic parameters of the aviation contrails on the Earth's atmosphere were studied. The vapor trails or contrails trap the outgoing radiation emitted by the Earth's surface and atmosphere at a very high rate and throw back the incoming solar radiation. The interaction between outgoing and incoming radiation often is referred to greenhouse effect which heats up the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]