Summary/Abstract
Linear contrails are the temporarily visible emissions left behind by aircraft. This peer-reviewed study uses a climate model to estimate the effect that contrails have on the climate system. The study found that contrails cause a slight warming of the earth, with land warming at a faster rate than water (a common occurrence among warming phenomena). Similar to the greenhouse effect, this warming was distributed globally rather than localized. Contrails were also shown to shift the Intertropical Convergence Zone– an atmospheric region which drives global air circulation cells– northward, causing changes to wind and ocean currents. This research provides further evidence of the detrimental climatic effects of excessive air travel, beyond the emission of greenhouse gasses.