Cool Condensation Clouds Caused By Jets

random member · 10-08-2004, 07:38 PM

http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/images/hornetsb.jpg

This picture shows a military aircraft breaking the sound barrier and creating a condensation cloud.

Does anyone know why the clouds are formed?

Parrakarry · 10-08-2004, 08:56 PM

If I had to guess, I'd say that once you break the barrier, any moisture on the jet can't keep up anymore and is flung backwards instantly. Of course, that's just a completely random guess. I'm probably totally wrong.

random member · 10-13-2004, 06:59 PM

Yo. Thanks.

***Ace Mercury*** · 10-13-2004, 11:14 PM

What I think is that those contrails are a result of supercool water vapour in the upper atmosphere. The super-cooled water solidifies when a seed (i.e. the jet) passes through the vapour, and the resulting trail is made primarily of small ice crystals suspended in the air, flung backwards by the extreme speed of the airplane.

It's ironic that those 'cool' contrails contribute to global warming, as the cloud buildup traps heat that would otherwise irradiate out into space.

10-08-2004, 07:38 PM	#1
random member Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 66 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/images/hornetsb.jpg This picture shows a military aircraft breaking the sound barrier and creating a condensation cloud. Does anyone know why the clouds are formed?

10-08-2004, 08:56 PM	#2
Parrakarry Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 10,685 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	If I had to guess, I'd say that once you break the barrier, any moisture on the jet can't keep up anymore and is flung backwards instantly. Of course, that's just a completely random guess. I'm probably totally wrong.

10-13-2004, 06:59 PM	#3
random member Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 66 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Yo. Thanks.

10-13-2004, 11:14 PM	#4
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 23,275 Thanks: 568 Thanked 3,297 Times in 1,582 Posts Blog Entries: 1	What I think is that those contrails are a result of supercool water vapour in the upper atmosphere. The super-cooled water solidifies when a seed (i.e. the jet) passes through the vapour, and the resulting trail is made primarily of small ice crystals suspended in the air, flung backwards by the extreme speed of the airplane. It's ironic that those 'cool' contrails contribute to global warming, as the cloud buildup traps heat that would otherwise irradiate out into space.