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Contrails over Rhone valley seen from ISS.
auteur: Nasa/Novapix
référence: t-met99-50002
Image Size 300 DPI: 25 * 17 cm
This digital photograph taken through the windows of the International Space Station on May 15, 2002, shows condensation trails over the Rhône Valley. Condensation trails"or contrails"are straight lines of ice crystals that form in the wake of jet liners where air temperatures at altitude are lower than about –40°C. Newer contrails are thin whereas older trails have widened with time as a result of light winds. Because of this tendency for thin contrails to cover greater areas with time, it is estimated that these `artificial clouds` cover 0.1% of the planet's surface. Percentages are far higher in some places such as southern California, the Ohio River Valley and parts of Europe, as illustrated here.
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