Articles | Volume 26, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10695-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10695-2026
Research article
 | 
31 Jul 2026
Research article |  | 31 Jul 2026

Investigating the development of persistent contrails in ice supersaturated regions with cloudy backgrounds using ICON-LEM

Sajedeh Marjani, Sina Mehrdad, and Johannes Quaas

Video supplement

ICON-LEM Animations of Contrail Development Within Cloudy Backgrounds Sajedeh Marjani https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15106425

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Short summary
A large part of aviation's climate impact comes from persistent contrails, not just carbon dioxide. This study examined how they evolve under different ice-supersaturated conditions, usually with background clouds. Using high-resolution simulations, we found that contrail growth depends on both the thickness of the supersaturated layer and available water vapor. Contrails can alter surrounding clouds and contribute to warming. Simple thresholds are not enough to predict their impact.
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