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Old February 1st 04, 05:27 PM posted to uk.sci.weather
Jack Harrison Jack Harrison is offline
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First recorded activity by Weather-Banter: Jul 2003
Posts: 283
Default Contrails or Subtrails

A couple of definitions from eg
http://nsidc.org/arcticmet/glossary/condensation.html
(other websites confirm the definitions)

CONDENSATION
The physical process by which a vapor becomes a liquid or solid; the
opposite to evaporation.
In meteorological usage, this term is applied only to transformation from
vapor to liquid; any process in which a solid forms directly from its vapor
is termed SUBLIMATION, as is the REVERSE process. (my capitals)

So are we correct in calling them condensation trails?
(As a four to five year old during WW2, we used to call them vapour trails -
seemingly no less accurate).
Condensation nuclei (from the engine exhausts) are of course necessary for
the water vapour to be able to sublimate into ice cloud, so would it be
totally wrong to call them "smoke induced" trails?

Jack