Did Colossal WWII Bombing Raids Alter Weather?

Read this article and answer the questions that follow.

Text-Dependent Questions

  • Using evidence from the text, give a brief description of contrails. What are they, how and when do they form, and how do they relate to the formation of clouds?
  • The authors of the scientific study claim that, based on their evidence from a WWII bombing raid, contrails can decrease the warming of the Earth’s surface by the sun. Using what you know about weather and solar energy, explain the mechanism behind this phenomenon.
  • What is the author’s purpose for including information from a similar study on changes in weather after 9/11? How are the two studies related? How are they different?