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Aircraft-induced clouds have a greater environmental impact than their emissions, study finds | Imperial News

“Uncovering the Impact of Aircraft Contrails on Climate Change: A Fast Route to Reduce Global Warming”

Understanding how aircraft contrails affect climate change is a crucial aspect of addressing global warming, according to Dr. Edward Gryspeerdt, a Research Fellow and lecturer at the Grantham Institute. While greenhouse gases are commonly associated with climate change, the clouds formed by planes at high altitudes also play a significant role in impacting the climate.

Clouds have both cooling and warming effects on the climate, depending on their properties. They are formed from droplets of water and ice crystals around aerosol particles such as sea salt, desert dust, soot from burning fossil fuels, and sulfuric acid. Human activities like aviation and shipping contribute to changing cloud formations, with aircraft contrails being a major factor.

When jet fuel burns, it releases water and soot particles that quickly freeze into ice crystals, forming contrails behind planes. These contrails can trigger the formation of larger clouds, which have a warming effect on the climate. In fact, the warming effect of contrails is more significant than the total CO2 emissions from aircraft since the beginning of flight.

Contrails from aviation contribute to more than half of the total climate impact of aircraft. While reducing flying and associated emissions would be ideal, it may not be feasible at the moment. However, understanding contrails better can help in finding ways to mitigate their impact, such as redirecting planes away from cloud formation areas or using different types of aircraft or fuel.

There is a trade-off between the warming effects of contrails and the long-lasting greenhouse gases emitted by aircraft. Finding effective and quick solutions to reduce the impact of contrails is crucial in addressing climate change. Despite the challenges, Dr. Gryspeerdt remains optimistic that there are pathways to avoid dangerous climate change if action is taken promptly.

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