Ship tracks

Ship tracks are like big, white lines that boats make on the ocean. It's kind of like when you draw a line in the sand with your finger, except a ship does it in the water. When big ships move across the ocean, they leave behind a trail of white steam or smoke. This happens because the ship's engines create heat and water vapor, which then mix with the cold air above the ocean and form clouds. These clouds are called ship tracks. They can be seen from space by satellites and they can last for a few hours or even a few days depending on how hazy the air is. Scientists study ship tracks to learn more about how human activity affects the Earth's climate.