"NASA RESEARCHER Patrick Minnis studied satellite photos of the airplane jetstreams, which occur only when the sky is moist, close to forming thin clouds.
What he discovered may sound far-fetched — but the evidence is clear.
For example, a distinctive oval-shaped contrail left behind by a test flight drifted across California for six hours, finally turning into a 60-mile-long cloud system.
“We were very excited because it opened our eyes up to the fact that there’s possibly a lot of clouds up in the sky that were originally contrails,” Minnis said.
In another case, a figure-8 cloud created its own 60-mile swath of clouds over Texas and Louisiana over a nine-hour period.
NASA’s Bruce Anderson actually went aloft to follow in the turbulent wake of a contrail. He came up with a theory for the role of contrails in causing atmospheric moisture to condense into clouds.
“We do know that the sulfur in the fuel from aircraft generate aerosol particles, and those in turn can influence the formation of clouds,” Anderson said.
Could jet-caused clouds be enough to affect climate?
“The number of clear days over the U.S. has decreased in the last 30 years, and we suspect that much of that is due to an increase in cirrus clouds, which we suspect is probably due to an increase in air traffic,” Minnis said.
And if such clouds trap heat, could they even contribute to global warming?
That connection to the greenhouse effect is still murky. But there is evidence that contrail clouds can have a big impact on weather patterns. Last year, in the wake of Hurricane Nora, researchers got their most dramatic view yet: Moist air blanketed the nation’s midsection from Nebraska to Texas, and scores of contrails fused into one enormous cloud — stretching for more than 800 miles.
Part of its Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project, NASA has placed much of the research data on the Web"
July 27th 2000 from NBC’s Robert Hager
http://web.archive.org/web/20000818030139/http://www.clydelewis.com/invest/contrails/msnbc72798.html
In today's terms (November 6th 2013):
"Aircraft engine emissions affect climate change in three ways that are expected to increase in concern as aviation grows:
From the burning of fossil fuels, aircraft produce about 3 percent of annual global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most important greenhouse gas. There is good scientific understanding of the impact of these emissions, which is the same as for CO2 at the earth's surface, such as from autos or power plants.
At high altitudes (25,000 to 50,000 feet), nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions affect the production of ozone and the concentration of methane, both potent greenhouse gases for which a fair scientific understanding has developed.
The third effect results from emissions of aerosol and particulate matter at high altitudes, and can be observed by the apparent increased incidence of cirrus clouds and the persistence of contrails, which influence the radiative character of the atmosphere. There is increasing knowledge about these effects, but poor scientific understanding.
The NASA Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project (AEAP) conducts focused laboratory experiments, computer modeling, and field observations that support periodic assessments of aviation's impact on climate change. These assessments are being used as a basis for national and international policy. Most recently, AEAP was a major contributor to the Special Report on Aviation and Global Atmosphere by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
NASA POC:
Richard J. Lawrence
301-286-1022
rlawrenc@pop400.gsfc.nasa.gov
http://hyperion.gsfc.nasa.gov/AEAP/ "
http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/docs/chicago/aeap.htmCurious enough is the sentence:
"Most recently, AEAP was a major contributor to the Special Report on Aviation and Global Atmosphere by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change."
If you download this report you'll find a publishing date of the year 1999 what is anything else except "recently".
Obviously, there is no political will to enhance knowledge about the consistency of those persisting contrails. This is natural because if one knows what they are made off there is no need to investigate it further more.
The curiosity of the public towards the content of those "persisting contrails" is not being satisfied if it is still stated by NASA:
"The third effect results from emissions of aerosol and particulate matter at high altitudes, and can be observed by the apparent increased incidence of cirrus clouds and the persistence of contrails, which influence the radiative character of the atmosphere." (2013)
At least already in the year 2000 there was according to the NBC's report the official - with the authority by the government - recognition that the "persisting contrails" - (Chemtrails) - are the cause of the development of additional (related to the natural development of) clouds. If they were just contrails they would not have to offer any condensation particles in the exhaust to the environment.
It is stated by Richard J. Lawrence (2013) that there is only poor scientific understanding of how the "persisting contrails" influence the development of clouds: "There is increasing knowledge about these effects, but poor scientific understanding."
It looks like that after 14 years there is still no political will to discover the knowledge behind the "poor scientific understanding".
"
industry roundtable
(...)
Environment-11 (Aircraft Emissions Reduction)
Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project (AEAP)
NASA POC:
Richard J. Lawrence
301-286-1022
rlawrenc@pop400.gsfc.nasa.gov (...)"
http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/events/showcase/appendix.htm" (...)
Richard J. Lawrence
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Code 490.0
Greenbelt, Maryland # 20771
Phone: 301-286-1022
Fax: 301-286-1704
E-mail: rlawrenc@pop400.gsfc.nasa.gov (...)"
https://www.espo.nasa.gov/sonex/pages/address_book.htmlPicture above: Patrick Minnis
Picture middle: Bruce Anderson
Picture below: Robert Hagar
