Satelliittiepäite

Satelliittiepäite refers to a meteorological phenomenon observed in the upper troposphere or lower stratosphere. It is characterized by a localized patch of ice crystals that forms following the passage of an aircraft. These ice crystals are not directly visible as contrails, but rather as a subtle alteration in the cloud layer that the aircraft traverses. The formation of satelliittiepäite is thought to be linked to the release of water vapor and particles from aircraft engines, which can induce ice nucleation in supersaturated air. The term itself is a Finnish compound word, with "satelliitti" meaning satellite and "epäite" meaning pseudo-cloud or false cloud. This name reflects the visual appearance of these features, which can sometimes be mistaken for natural cirrus clouds, but are in fact artificially induced. Their presence can be an indicator of atmospheric conditions conducive to contrail formation. Studies on satelliittiepäite contribute to a broader understanding of the atmospheric impacts of aviation, including potential influences on radiative forcing and local weather patterns. The phenomenon is a subject of ongoing research within atmospheric science and aviation meteorology.