Contrail frequency over Europe from NOAA-satellite images

Contrail cloudiness over Europe and the eastern part of the North Atlantic Ocean was analyzed for the two periods September 1979 - December 1981 and September 1989 - August 1992 by visual inspection of quicklook photographic prints of NOAA/AVHRR infrared images. The averaged contrail cover exhib...

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Main Authors: S. Bakan, M. Betancor, V. Gayler, H. Graßl
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 1994-08-01
Series:Annales Geophysicae
Online Access:https://www.ann-geophys.net/12/962/1994/angeo-12-962-1994.pdf
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author S. Bakan
M. Betancor
V. Gayler
H. Graßl
author_facet S. Bakan
M. Betancor
V. Gayler
H. Graßl
author_sort S. Bakan
collection DOAJ
description Contrail cloudiness over Europe and the eastern part of the North Atlantic Ocean was analyzed for the two periods September 1979 - December 1981 and September 1989 - August 1992 by visual inspection of quicklook photographic prints of NOAA/AVHRR infrared images. The averaged contrail cover exhibits maximum values along the transatlantic flight corridor around 50 °N (of almost 2%) and over western Europe resulting in 0.5% contrail cloudiness on average. A strong yearly cycle appears with a maximum (<2%) in spring and summer over the Atlantic and a smaller maximum (<1%) in winter over southwestern Europe. Comparing the two time periods, which are separated by one decade, shows there is a significant decrease in contrail cloudiness over western Europe and a significant increase over the North Atlantic between March and July. Contrail cloud cover during daytime is about twice as high as during nighttime. Contrails are found preferentially in larger fields of 1000 km diameter which usually last for more than a day. Causes, possible errors and consequences are discussed.
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spelling doaj.art-78390750202f4541a86bcc6fe96e3f462022-12-21T20:08:37ZengCopernicus PublicationsAnnales Geophysicae0992-76891432-05761994-08-011296296810.1007/s00585-994-0962-yContrail frequency over Europe from NOAA-satellite imagesS. BakanM. BetancorV. GaylerH. GraßlContrail cloudiness over Europe and the eastern part of the North Atlantic Ocean was analyzed for the two periods September 1979 - December 1981 and September 1989 - August 1992 by visual inspection of quicklook photographic prints of NOAA/AVHRR infrared images. The averaged contrail cover exhibits maximum values along the transatlantic flight corridor around 50 °N (of almost 2%) and over western Europe resulting in 0.5% contrail cloudiness on average. A strong yearly cycle appears with a maximum (<2%) in spring and summer over the Atlantic and a smaller maximum (<1%) in winter over southwestern Europe. Comparing the two time periods, which are separated by one decade, shows there is a significant decrease in contrail cloudiness over western Europe and a significant increase over the North Atlantic between March and July. Contrail cloud cover during daytime is about twice as high as during nighttime. Contrails are found preferentially in larger fields of 1000 km diameter which usually last for more than a day. Causes, possible errors and consequences are discussed.https://www.ann-geophys.net/12/962/1994/angeo-12-962-1994.pdf
spellingShingle S. Bakan
M. Betancor
V. Gayler
H. Graßl
Contrail frequency over Europe from NOAA-satellite images
Annales Geophysicae
title Contrail frequency over Europe from NOAA-satellite images
title_full Contrail frequency over Europe from NOAA-satellite images
title_fullStr Contrail frequency over Europe from NOAA-satellite images
title_full_unstemmed Contrail frequency over Europe from NOAA-satellite images
title_short Contrail frequency over Europe from NOAA-satellite images
title_sort contrail frequency over europe from noaa satellite images
url https://www.ann-geophys.net/12/962/1994/angeo-12-962-1994.pdf
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AT mbetancor contrailfrequencyovereuropefromnoaasatelliteimages
AT vgayler contrailfrequencyovereuropefromnoaasatelliteimages
AT hgraßl contrailfrequencyovereuropefromnoaasatelliteimages