Contrail Research
Contrail Research combines flight context, pressure-level weather, NOAA satellite and radar layers, a transparent experimental model, public observations, and documented geoengineering and weather-modification records. Each week, one feature story applies that evidence chain to an atmospheric or weather event somewhere in the world.
This week's feature
Is aviation-related cloudiness being undercounted in the DC haze story?
Open the investigation file →
The map is an entry point, not the conclusion. Our publication pages explain how the atmospheric gates work, document what each data source contributes, examine particular sky windows, and preserve explicit no-data outcomes. Each report separates observation, model inference, and limitation.
We are testing whether persistent contrails, spreading contrail cirrus, and humid atmospheric conditions explain more of the regional veil than wildfire-smoke reporting alone acknowledges.
Open the investigation fileSee documented operations, reporting requirements, climate-intervention research, definitions, and the evidence needed to connect a program to an observed event.
Inspect the sourced recordFormation physics, pressure-level inputs, flight context, scoring stages, uncertainty, and validation plans.
Read the methodologyInspect the published observation, its coarse time and place, image checksum, visible evidence, and scientific limits.
Review the observationLine-shaped clouds can be visually striking, but shape alone does not establish origin, age, or climate effect. Useful analysis asks whether the atmosphere could support exhaust condensation, whether ice saturation could sustain it, what winds would do to the trail, and whether ordinary cirrus or frontal cloud offers a better explanation.
From hot aircraft exhaust to ice-crystal line cloud, with the Schmidt–Appleman threshold explained in plain language.
Read the guideUse geometry, time, wind, traffic, and satellite context without overclaiming what a photograph proves.
Compare the evidenceUnderstand which layers are observations, forecasts, flight context, model hypotheses, and public reports.
Use the map guideSkyPulse does not treat agreement as the only useful outcome. A clear-sky report that differs from the model can identify timing, source, or resolution problems. Aggregate findings are published with sample-size and coverage caveats.
See current verification findings or contribute an observation.
Each report distinguishes observation, modeled inference, and unresolved attribution. Corrections and contrary evidence remain part of the record.