Jet Contrails over northeast US, June 4, 1999

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This is a NOAA-14 AVHRR channel 4 image acquired at 5:48 AM EDT on this morning of June 4, 1999.

The northeast corner of this image is in sunlight, the southwest in twilight as shown on the pass map for this early morning image. However this thermal infrared image (10.3 to 11.3 microns) does not show reflected sunlight, only infrared emissions. This image has been reversed so that the colder clouds appear white and the warmer water dark. The east side of the image is near the edge of the scan so has lower resolution.

Conditions favorable for the persistence of jet contrails occurred over much of the area shown. At times contrails can last for hours, this image gives an indication of the high level of air traffic in this part of the country. The contrails will drift with the wind after formation so do not show the exact path of the aircraft.