Talk of “chemtrails” has become
an increasingly hot topic in certain public arenas. While there is some truth
to the issue, there are also so many falsehoods, contradictions, and
nonsensical arguments surrounding the topic that it has unfortunately become difficult
to discern fact from fiction without expertise in environmental pollution or
atmospheric science. Since my focus in graduate school happens to be
environmental pollution, and even more specifically atmospheric pollution, I
thought it natural, if not my responsibility, to finally shed light on this
issue.
There
are a number of ways to dive into the topic, but I thought it best to take the
main claims by chemtrail theorist, analyze them one by one, and ultimately
discern whether we have “chemtrails” or “chemspiracy.” As I began writing,
it soon became apparent that I would need to divide this into three different
blogs. There are so many claims, and therefore so much to discuss. Below, I
have briefly introduced the idea of chemtrails and explained the physics that
leads to either the forming or not forming of condensation trails in the sky. In
my next blog, I will discuss the prospect of chemtrails being a government
conspiracy to target certain populations. Later, I will address other claims
surrounding chemtrails, such as high aluminum in the soil and the issue of
geoengineering the atmosphere, some of which has merit, and some of which does
not.
What is a “Chemtrail?”
The
word “chemtrail” is a spin off the word “contrail,” short for “condensation
trail,” which refers to the long trails of condensation that airplanes and jets
sometimes leave in the sky. The word “chemtrail” was adopted to reflect the
idea that contrails are not mere trails of condensation, but rather trails of
toxic chemicals that are purposely sprayed into the atmosphere. Some suggest
that the government is behind the spraying while others suggest it is industry.
This is where different theories split off, but you get the point. By the way,
while I may use the term “chemtrail theory” for simplicity in this blog, we are
not actually talking about a true theory by definition, but rather an idea or
belief discussed among the public.
Why Some Planes Leave Trails, and Others Do Not
That
some planes leave trails while other planes flying nearby do not is often used
as support for the idea of chemtrails. However, there is another explanation.
One that is no mystery at all, and certainly no conspiracy. These planes are
flying at different altitudes and therefore areas of different relative
humidity (RH). Condensation forms under conditions of high RH. That is, when
the atmosphere is saturated with water. This condition is more likely when the
air is cold. I’m sure you’ve noticed your car exhaust, or your own breath for
that matter, to be visible on cool mornings or after a rain. This has nothing
to do with the chemical makeup of your breath or your car exhaust, except that
both contain water vapor. Yes, when your car burns fuel, it produces water
vapor. This is one of the chemical products of hydrocarbon combustion. When
this warm water vapor, either from your breath or car, is released into a cool
or otherwise humid environment, the vapor condenses into visible water
droplets. This is the same reason airplanes form contrails in the sky!
Although
a rare occurrence, some people say that even when planes are flying at the same
altitude, one plane may produce a trail while another does not. First, a person
at ground level cannot truly tell that two planes are at equal altitudes unless
he/she knows the relative sizes of the two planes. You may think you can, but
you cannot. Even when planes seem very close to one another, they can easily be
thousands of feet apart. Second, even if two planes were hypothetically flying
at very similar altitudes, or near each other, they could still be flying
through parcels of air that are meteorologically different, leaving a condensation
trail in one case and no trail in the other case. If you do not believe that
two adjacent parcels of air can be so meteorologically different as to produce
differences in visible condensation, then you do not believe in clouds in the
sky.
Lastly,
you will notice that on some days there are visible trails all over the sky,
while on other days there are none. This is not because on some days every
plane has suddenly become a “chemtrail” plane, but rather because on some days the
local atmosphere suddenly becomes relatively humid throughout (a weather front
has arrived), while on other days it is dry. In short, science can easily explain
contrails without the need of a “chemtrail” theory. That said, being able to
explain condensation trails on a scientific basis is not in and of itself enough
to completely refute the chemtrail theory. However, it certainly does not
provide evidence for it and should not be used to support the existence of
chemtrails. What remains to be dissected of chemtrails will be left
for discussion in my next series of blogs.
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-Shahir
Masri, M.S.
