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The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene a committee to develop a national research agenda to understand better, quantify, and support the development of technical and operational solutions to significantly reduce the global climate impact of aviation-induced cloudiness (AIC) and persistent contrails (PC) from commercial aviation. The research agenda will comprise a prioritized set of scientific recommendations and research projects critical to the national and international commercial aviation and scientific research communities. It will include a review of advances in measurements, modeling, technology, fuel sensitivities, and recent approaches for evaluating tradeoffs.
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Developing a Research Agenda on Contrails and Their Climate Impacts
Consensus Study Report
·2025
Contrails are visible lines in the sky behind aircraft that occur when warm jet engine exhaust meets the colder surrounding atmosphere, forming small ice crystals. Most contrails dissipate within about 10 minutes, but they can last for hours under certain conditions. Persistent contrails can contrib...
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