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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • contrail
  • cloud
  • daily temperature range

Index Terms

  • Atmospheric Processes: Clouds and aerosols
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Cloud/radiation interaction
  • Atmospheric Processes: Climate change and variability
  • Atmospheric Processes: Clouds and cloud feedbacks

Abstract

Do contrails significantly reduce daily temperature range?

Gang Hong

Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

Ping Yang

Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

Patrick Minnis

NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, USA

Yong X. Hu

NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, USA

Gerald North

Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

One of the most visible anthropogenic phenomena in the atmosphere is the occurrence of contrails. The direct effects of contrails on surface temperature are investigated on the basis of the data sets for the cloud cover and surface temperature over the conterminous United States for the period 1971–2001. It is shown that the increase of the average daily temperature range (DTR) over the United States during the three-day grounding period of 11–14 September 2001 cannot be attributed to the absence of contrails, a subject was debated in several previous studies. The present analysis suggests that the DTR is attributed to the change of low cloudiness.

Received 23 September 2008; accepted 11 November 2008; published 12 December 2008.

Citation: Hong, G., P. Yang, P. Minnis, Y. X. Hu, and G. North (2008), Do contrails significantly reduce daily temperature range?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L23815, doi:10.1029/2008GL036108.

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