Atlantic Contrails

April 17, 2002

Smaritimecanada_contrails_closer

Provided by: NASA/GSFC, ORBIMAGE, SeaWiFS Project
Summary authors & editors: Jim Foster

This SeaWiFS satellite image shows numerous jet contrails over the Atlantic Ocean, south of Nova Scotia. Most are likely due to commercial jet traffic from Europe to the US - flights leaving Europe in the morning hours would have been over this part of the Atlantic Ocean when the image was taken, early afternoon. The majority of these bright contrails are at altitudes of 25,000 feet (8,065 m) or higher. Relatively moist air and weak winds aloft enable the contrails to stretch for miles across the nearly cloudless skies. The Canadian province of Nova Scotia is at top center on this image, the entrance to the Bay of Fundy is at the upper left center and the coast of Maine is at the upper left.

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