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A Satellite-Based Climatic Description of Jet Aircraft Contrails and Associations with Atmospheric Conditions, 1977–79

Authors :
James Q. DeGrand
David J. Travis
Peter J. Lamb
Andrew M. Carleton
Source :
Journal of Applied Meteorology. 39:1434-1459
Publication Year :
2000
Publisher :
American Meteorological Society, 2000.

Abstract

The possible contribution of jet aircraft condensation trails (contrails) to recent observed increases in high cloudiness constitutes a potentially important human effect on climate that has received relatively little attention. Very high resolution (0.6 km) thermal-infrared imagery from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program polar orbiters, concentrated in the nighttime and morning hours, is interpreted to derive a climatic description of contrails over the United States and adjacent areas for the midseason months (April, July, October, and January) of 1977–79. A manual technique of identifying contrails on the imagery is validated by comparison with more recent ground-based observations. Contrail spatial distributions are mapped at a 1° lat × 1° long resolution for monthly and multimonth time periods. Contrail incidence is widespread over the United States and adjacent areas, with highest frequencies occurring over the following regions: the extreme Southwest (particularly southern Califo...

Details

ISSN :
15200450 and 08948763
Volume :
39
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Applied Meteorology
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........e2b5ad7917fbf70241d64bba5c377ead
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(2000)039<1434:asbcdo>2.0.co;2