Articles | Volume 8, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1089-2015
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1089-2015
Research article
 | 
05 Mar 2015
Research article |  | 05 Mar 2015

Potential impact of contrails on solar energy gain

P. Weihs, M. Rennhofer, D. J. Baumgartner, J. Gadermaier, J. E. Wagner, J. E. Gehring, and W. Laube

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Short summary
The effect of contrails on global shortwave radiation (sum of direct and downward diffuse solar radiation) and on solar energy gain was investigated. The results show that contrails moving between sun and observer/sensor may reduce the global radiation by up to 72%. An analysis of contrail persistence and influence of contrails on global irradiance and solar energy gain is presented. The losses in solar energy gain that were recorded may be critical under specific circumstances.