Scientists believe that simply making airplanes fly a few thousand feet lower or higher could dramatically lessen their impact on the environment. A study by Imperial College London found that eliminating contrails (the white vapour trails left behind aircraft) has a surprisingly beneficial effect. By flying in ‘thicker’ air, planes are less likely to produce contrails, which reflect heat and so have a warming effect on the air below them.
Contrails form in thinner areas of atmosphere with high humidity, which can be avoided by changing a plane’s altitude one way or the other. Although such diversions from the flight path increases the amount of fuel used, and therefore the amount of CO2 produced, this is more than offset by the eradication of contrails.
The big stumbling blocks are the need to constantly measure humidity around the aircraft (such cockpit, or ground control, instruments do not currently exist); and the logistical problem of frequently diverting many planes from their specified flight paths without causing an accident.
However, the researchers say they “are in the process of having discussions with air traffic management service providers, who are responsible for planning with airlines flight trajectories” in order to find a practical application for their study.
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Scientists believe that simply making airplanes fly a few thousand feet lower or higher could dramatically lessen their impact on the environment. A study by Imperial College London found that eliminating contrails (the white vapour trails left behind aircraft) has a surprisingly beneficial effect. By flying in ‘thicker’ air, planes are less likely to produce contrails, which reflect heat and so have a warming effect on the air below them.
Contrails form in thinner areas of atmosphere with high humidity, which can be avoided by changing a plane’s altitude one way or the other. Although such diversions from the flight path increases the amount of fuel used, and therefore the amount of CO2 produced, this is more than offset by the eradication of contrails.
The big stumbling blocks are the need to constantly measure humidity around the aircraft (such cockpit, or ground control, instruments do not currently exist); and the logistical problem of frequently diverting many planes from their specified flight paths without causing an accident.
However, the researchers say they “are in the process of having discussions with air traffic management service providers, who are responsible for planning with airlines flight trajectories” in order to find a practical application for their study.