Jet Pollution Or What?

[Hmmm]

I understand that there's a whole huge thread about chemtrails under the conspiracy section here, however I would like to avoid the conspiracies and ask; what the heck is going on? Yesterday for example, many people might of looked up at the sunset and saw the pretty pink colour and said how nice those clouds look. most of what was there were not clouds as it came from jets flying overhead and crisscrossing the skies overhead. I know, because I watched them create them throughout the day.

Who has the facts about this? A few days ago there were so many of these that they formed a huge feather like, looking shape in the middle of the sky. I don't even know the right questions to ask. I do know that they seem to be polluting the skies here and that they often ruin beautiful, cloudless, blue sky days.

What up? Are there any facts that don't originate from conspiracy websites about these? And please don't move this over to the conspiracy thread, as I'm wanting to know the facts about what is 100% happening most days overhead in KELOWNA.

[Fancy]

Contrails are normal and dependent on the humidity at the time.

[Hmmm]

Contrails are normal and dependent on the humidity at the time.

Don't they dissipate pretty quickly? I see that, but I also see days where the whole sky is painted and they just spread out and cover the valley. Also I would like actual facts and proof from reliable sources.

[Tacklewasher]

Someone else can chime in with better details, but this is usually just due to atmospheric conditions being right for the creation of contrails, added with little upper wind to disperse them. And it is (mostly) just water vapour or ice crystals. The actual pollution does not vary whether or not their are contrails.

[Fancy]

Contrails can linger for hours.

[Rwede]

When did water vapour become pollution?

[Hmmm]

When did water vapour become pollution?

So our skies are covered in water vapor from jets? Are there any actual documents/facts from reliable sources that anybody here is familiar with that I can look at? I would go to the conspiracy sites, but I don't want to get tagged by the Illuminati.

[Fancy]

http://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/contra ... cience.php

[goatboy]

http://contrailscience.com/

[Gilchy]

So our skies are covered in water vapor from jets? Are there any actual documents/facts from reliable sources that anybody here is familiar with that I can look at? I would go to the conspiracy sites, but I don't want to get tagged by the Illuminati.

Too late, they've found you based on this thread. Black helicopters will be visiting you shortly.

Our skies are also covered in water vapour in the form of clouds, don't know why this is so hard to believe.

[Catri]

When did water vapour become pollution?

When did jet exhaust become water vapour?

[Tacklewasher]

When did water vapour become pollution?

When did jet exhaust become water vapour?

The contrails are water vapour or ice crystals. As I said above, whether or not there are contrails has no impact in the amount of pollution generated. No contrails, still the same amount of fuel by-products.

[Hmmm]

http://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/contrail-edu/science.php

Interesting. Thank you

[Bsuds]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... e-a-white/

[Dizzy1]

Oh Lord, please give me the strength ;)

Contrails form when excess moisture is injected into the atmosphere in the exhaust of aircraft engines (just like you see with car exhaust in cold/humid conditions). The key difference is the extreme temperature difference between the exhaust and the surrounding air, it can supercool the vapor into ice crystals given the correct atmospheric conditions. Another factor is the relative humidity in the atmosphere, if the air is saturated it can't absorb more moisture hence contrails are formed. The atmosphere is in a constant state of change, temperature, RH amongst other factors and changes from altitude to altitude. Mix all the factors together, and that is why sometimes we see contrails, sometimes we don't, sometimes they're short and sometimes they persist.

The Okanagan is also a very busy air corridor for many flights flying from all over the world. We of course are pretty much the midway point for flights between Calgary and Vancouver - westbound flights typically fly along the North Okanagan and eastbound usually over the Central Okanagan. We also see many flights flying from Vancouver to Eastern Canada. Lots of flights coming in from Europe and heading down to the Western US such as Seattle, San Francisco and LA fly overhead on a daily basis as well as flights from Dubai heading down the LA and San Francisco. Not too often, but we sometimes also have flights coming in from Anchorage and Asia going to the Eastern US fly overhead as well. The skies are a lot busier above our heads then most people realize. Unfortunately, not every one is a geek like me and they only notice this on days like the other day when the sky is covered in contrails.