Any Contrail-ologists Available?

[Richard Dickson]

I see this event fairly regularly, but I can’t figure out what is really happening. Why is the contrail being sheered away from the original flight path (to the north in the photo below), but yet the ‘south side’ is still retaining most of its original shape? It seems like the winds at that level would in essence move the entire contrail to the north, not just distort it in one direction.

I try to visualize this in three dimensions, but that doesn’t offer me any better conclusions. I try to compare this to a back-sheered anvil cloud, but in my mind there are different forces at work in that example. This photo isn't a perfect example of what I am refering to, but it is what was available here in southern Arizona today.

Any ideas and thanks?

[craig buchanan]

Just for clarification, are you talking about the feathering at the edge, or the bubble?

[Richard Dickson]

The feathering at the edge.

[Paul Knightley]

I would imagine it's gently precipitating some of the material into a high velocity flow just below it, rather than spreading out horizontally at the same level.

[Terry Tyler]

Thats not a contrail man, thats a chemtrail. :)

[Richard Dickson]

Ah yes, the elusive chemtrail. That would explain everything perfectly except for the physics of the dispersion pattern that I was originally inquiring about.

Sorry for the delay in answering, but I had to go to the store to purchase some more aluminum foil to create another layer on my hat for additional protection. ;)

[Andy Mayhew]

Aye, I think Paul's got the answer nearly right. It's caused by the sulphur/glass/aids virus/blood/barium/nanobots falling into a stronger cross wind below the main chemtrail. I mean contrail.

:eek::D