Contrail From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Vapor Trail redirects here. For other uses, see Vapor Trail (disambiguation). For other uses, see Contrail (disambiguation). Aviaticus cloud Engine exhaust contrails Engine exhaust contrails Genus Cirrus (curl of hair), cirrocumulus, or cirrostratus Altitude Usually above 5,000 m (Usually above 16,500 ft) Classification Family A (High-level) Appearance long bands Precipitation cloud? No Sinuous vapor trail over south-east Poland. Contrails (/ˈkɒntreɪlz/; short for condensation trails) or vapor trails are long, thin artificial (man-made) clouds that sometimes form behind aircraft. Their formation is most often triggered by the water vapor in the exhaust of aircraft engines, but can also be triggered by the changes in air pressure in wingtip vortices or in the air over the entire wing surface.[1] Like all clouds, contrails are made of water, in the form of a suspension of billions of liquid droplets or ice crystals. Depending on the temperature and humidity at the altitude the contrail forms, they may be visible for only a few seconds or minutes, or may persist for hours and spread to be several miles wide. The resulting cloud forms may resemble cirrus, cirrocumulus, or cirrostratus. Persistent spreading contrails are thought to have a significant effect on global climate.[2]
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 23:42:53 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015