<p>Schmidt-Appleman criterion (SAC) is used to model contrail formation. I advise reading in full Ulrich Schumann's article "A contrail cirrus prediction model" (<a href="http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/5/543/2012/gmd-5-543-2012.pdf">http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/5/543/2012/gmd-5-543-2012.pdf</a>) to get all the relevant formulae and literature references.</p>

<p><sub>While it is possible to transcribe the formulae here, the reference cited does a better job of presenting state of the art (2012).</sub></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-07T20:53:54.110Z
2014-12-07T21:23:52.517Z
2014-12-07T21:23:52.517Z
Deer Hunter
<p>I am working on a data visualisation of airline flight paths and their probability of forming contrails.</p>

<p>Given weather data for a specific area (location, time, temperature, pressure and humidity) and aircraft data (location, time, altitude, speed and engine efficiency)</p>

<p>Is there an equation that will give me a rough estimate of the probability contrails will form at this point?</p>

<climate-change><nwp>
Equation for predicting contrail formation
Red Panda
# Equation for predicting contrail formation

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-12-07)

I am working on a data visualisation of airline flight paths and their probability of forming contrails.

Given weather data for a specific area (location, time, temperature, pressure and humidity) and aircraft data (location, time, altitude, speed and engine efficiency)

Is there an equation that will give me a rough estimate of the probability contrails will form at this point?

**Tags:** climate-change, nwp


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-12-07. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Schmidt-Appleman criterion (SAC) is used to model contrail formation. I advise reading in full Ulrich Schumann's article "A contrail cirrus prediction model" (<http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/5/543/2012/gmd-5-543-2012.pdf>) to get all the relevant formulae and literature references.

While it is possible to transcribe the formulae here, the reference cited does a better job of presenting state of the art (2012).


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