Do you believe in Chemtrails?

This is something that I normally don’t touch with a 10-foot pole in the daily operation of my social platforms. I’ve seen discussions get violent due to difference of opinion with regard to chemtrails and geo-engineering. In-fact, at one point I prohibited the word “chemtrail” from being allowed because it seriously got that bad.

Why not open up the issue for discussion in a controlled environment. Feel free to express whatever your heart desires about chemtrails and geo-engineering in the comments section of either this article or my social comment feeds. Let’s get it all out on the table. Let’s air it out no matter how dirty it is.

I’ll tell you what I know about some basic physics and how they relate to weather and jet exhaust, aka chemtrails or contrails depending on who you talk to. We know that when hot air encounters cold air with various levels of moisture, condensation occurs and transforms invisible moisture content into visible clouds.

Let’s apply this first to weather. On a hot summer day the sun bakes the Earth’s surface, especially in the late-morning and early afternoon. This is known as diurnal heating. This surface temperature increase creates lift in the lower levels of the atmosphere. Because the upper levels of the atmosphere are generally colder and because heat wants to rise, we’re basically looking at a jet engine pointed straight upward into the sky. This is why those popcorn clouds bubble up so high before a rain shower or thunderstorm. Its simply condensation caused by hot air being hoisted into cold air.

Now let’s apply this to jet exhaust. Hot air is pumped into cold air while traveling at least a few hundred miles per hour at high altitudes. If, at that altitude, there is more moisture that day then the trail lasts very long. If there is less moisture up there then the trail disappears almost immediately behind the jet.

It’s no different than seeing your breath in colder weather. That simple, right?

No. In addition to condensed moisture comes other obvious bi-products of combustion. Just like a car engine, CO2 is ultimately emitted which most certainly contributes to our total carbon footprint. There are many research studies based on scientific theory that support our CO2 contribution. I’ve yet to see any, however, solid evidence that gives weight to the conspiracy theories out there. Some believe that chemicals are being released in these trails that ultimately control short-term synoptic and mesoscaleweather systems. Others suggest that our sunrises and sunsets are more colorful because of such.

Let’s give Mother Nature a little credit here. Different moisture levels, altitudes, and wind directions can create very interesting natural patterns. You might see these trails striped across the entire sky at 5 mile increments. This would explain a common air route during a windy day in the upper atmosphere.

As each plane passes, a new thin trail is produced that evenly drifts away and expands. You might see bizarre patterns of low-level clouds too. I advise you to lookup roll clouds, shelf clouds, and gravity waves before jumping to any conclusions.

Regarding color, a small lesson in particle scattering should go a long way. The lower atmosphere contains many particles of cosmic dust settling as well as wind-swept dust that light has to pass through to get to one’s eye. When looking parallel to the horizon, light has to travel through more of these particles than if you are looking straight upward. The more particles that light scatters off of while passing through, the more red you see. The less particles, the more blue you see. Again, try not to short the natural beauty of this planet.

So what do you believe? There is no doubt that jet exhaust contributes to the greenhouse gas emission problem we are all working on. That’s a fact just like every other engine that burns fossil fuels. But do you believe there are secret substances being spread to control the weather? Is visual observation your proof? You’re going to need more than that given how almost any visual phenomena I’ve ever seen can be explained scientifically and atmospherically. Looking forward to your responses and beliefs.

Be safe! JC

Jonathan Carr

Jonathan Carr (JC) is the founder and sole operator of Weather NJ, New Jersey’s largest independent weather reporting agency. Since 2010, Jonathan has provided weather safety and forecasting services for New Jersey and immediate surrounding areas through the web, social media, and app spaces. Originally branded as Severe NJ Weather (before 2014), Weather NJ is proud to bring you accurate and responsible discussions ahead of high-stakes weather scenarios that impact the garden state. All Weather. All New Jersey.™