The "Sky-Scan" (Atmospheric Aerosols)
Original Mission created by RENSIC.
Submit Your Research MissionMission Overview: Persistent Contrail & Aerosol Impact Study
When commercial jets fly overhead, they often leave behind white condensation trails, known as contrails. Under normal conditions, these trails dissipate quickly. However, under certain atmospheric conditions—or due to specific aerosol particulates—these trails can persist for hours, spreading out to form artificial cirrus clouds that blanket the sky.
Meteorologists and environmental scientists are increasingly concerned about the impact of these persistent contrails. By reflecting sunlight during the day and trapping heat at night, these artificial cloud covers can significantly alter local weather patterns and contribute to broader climate changes. Yet, there is a lack of decentralized, ground-level data tracking exactly where and how often these persistent trails occur.
The Goal: The "Sky-Scan" Audit is a crowdsourced initiative to map persistent contrails and atmospheric aerosols. By collecting time-stamped photos from everyday citizens, we can build a comprehensive database to track their direct impact on local weather and sky visibility.
The Science: Using advanced Computer Vision, our AI analyzes the "Solar Aureole" (the glow around the sun) and the expansion rate of the trails. This allows us to distinguish standard, fast-dissipating jet exhaust from persistent aerosol trails that actively alter cloud cover and sky brightness.
Task Analysis Breakdown
| Task for the User | How the AI Analyzes It |
|---|---|
| Wide-Angle Sky Photo | AI uses Computer Vision to identify "Persistence." Does the trail dissipate in 2 minutes (normal) or spread into a cirrus cloud (warming effect)? |
| Sun-Angle Photo (Aureole) | AI measures the Solar Aureole (the glow around the sun). Scientific models show that atmospheric aerosols change the sky's "chromaticity" and brightness in ways humans might miss but AI can quantify. |
| Flight Tracking Overlay | The user provides a timestamp. Flight traffic data (like FlightAware) is used to see if a commercial jet was present. If there's a trail but NO plane on the radar, that’s critical "Anomaly" data. |
Mandatory Tools First
In order to participate in Missions, you will need at least one of these two apps for all missions. Other specialized tools may be required by the Mission:
ProofMode
A lightweight app that turns your phone into a secure evidence-gathering device by automatically adding cryptographic signatures and metadata.
proofmode.orgPhyphox
An open-source physics application developed by RWTH Aachen University that utilizes your smartphone's sensors for data collection.
phyphox.orgOpen Source Forensic Tools (Digital & Network Analysis):
ExifTool
A platform-independent Perl library plus a command-line application for reading, writing and editing meta information. Essential for verifying the authenticity and timestamps of the sky photos.
exiftool.orgQGIS
A free and open-source geographic information system (GIS) application. Required for visualizing the flight radar overlays and mapping the geographic distribution of persistent contrails.
qgis.orgFlight Tracking & Radar Platforms (Live & Historical):
ADS-B Exchange
The world's largest unfiltered flight data cooperative. Essential for tracking live and historical flights, including private and military aircraft often blocked on commercial platforms.
adsbexchange.comFlightradar24
A global flight tracking service providing real-time and historical playback of aircraft positions. Useful for immediate cross-referencing and capturing radar screenshots.
flightradar24.comWhen you download the apps, this is what you need to do before you use them:
- Phyphox: Light Sensor (Illuminance) set to record.
- ProofMode: Video set to 1080 30fps. DO NOT use 4K video.
For additional operational resources, consult the Tools and Testing, Ethical Testing Guide, Verification Guide, and Smart Contracts pages.
Field Audit & OSINT Protocol
Directive SS-01: Atmospheric Aerosol Data Collection
I. Your Mission Task
We need your eyes on the sky. Your objective is to document "hazy" days or jet trails that linger and spread out for more than 10 minutes, rather than dissipating normally. Here is exactly what we need from you:
- The Wide-Angle Shot: Find a clear vantage point and take a wide photo of the sky showing the persistent trails. Try to include a bit of the horizon, a tree, or a landmark for scale.
- The Sun-Angle (Aureole) Shot: We need to see the glow around the sun. Safety tip: Block the direct sun with the edge of a building, a tree, or your hand so you don't damage your camera lens or eyes, and snap a photo of the hazy white glow surrounding it.
- The Flight Radar Overlay: At the exact time you take your photos, open an app like FlightAware or Flightradar24 and take a screenshot of the airspace above you. We need to know if a commercial flight was officially registered in that exact spot.
II. Verification & Submission
To make this data scientifically viable, human verification is key. When you submit your files, please include a short brief with your name, the date, exact time, location, and what you observed (e.g., "Trail persisted for 20 minutes and spread into a haze").
Geotagging is mandatory: Ensure your camera app saves GPS coordinates to the image metadata. If your native camera doesn't do this reliably, please use an app like Proofmode or TruePic. Email your photos, radar screenshot, and brief to info@rensic.com.
III. The Payout
Once we verify your submission meets the criteria, you've fulfilled the contract. We are paying out $5.00 via PayPal for each verified submission (capped at our first 30 successful tasks). Please note: Rewards are strictly limited to one submission per Researcher/PayPal account, and this pilot is restricted to US residents only.
Milestones
This mission is structured in three progressive milestones to ensure systematic and verifiable mapping of atmospheric anomalies.
Milestone 1: The Pilot Data Collection (Seed Round)
$150Deliverable: 30 Verified Submissions
- The Mission: Establish the baseline. We need 30 verified submissions containing the Wide-Angle Shot, the Sun-Angle Shot, and the Flight Radar Overlay. This proves the protocol works and establishes our initial dataset.
- Donor Value: You are funding the proof-of-concept. Without this initial data, we cannot scale the operation or attract larger grants.
Milestone 2: Regional Expansion (Growth Phase)
$1,000Deliverable: 200 Verified Tests Across Multiple States
- The Mission: Scale the operation. We need to fund 200 more verified tests across different geographic regions to prove these anomalies are not isolated local events, but systemic atmospheric patterns.
- Donor Value: You are funding the "connective tissue." This phase turns isolated photos into a undeniable, nationwide map of atmospheric anomalies.
Milestone 3: Advanced AI & Data Science Review (The Endgame)
$2,500Deliverable: Independent Data Science Report
- The Mission: The final synthesis. We will run our expanded dataset through premium, specialized meteorological AI models and bring on an independent data scientist to verify our findings, making the final report bulletproof.
- Donor Value: The kill shot. Your funds directly sponsor the creation of undeniable, verifiable data packages for further analysis that cannot be ignored by environmental agencies.
Mission Downloads
The following files are pre-configured specifically for The "Sky-Scan" (Atmospheric Aerosols). Citizen Researchers can use these templates to compile legally verifiable, corroborating evidence for submission to municipal authorities or courts.
Submission Requirements
Citizen Researchers are required to submit these two files (completely filled out; the .json is pre-filled with Mission-specific metadata) alongside the raw evidence Phyphox .csv file and the ProofMode video file for full review, validation, and payment.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Follow this step-by-step checklist to ensure your sky photos are forensically valid and accurately capture the required atmospheric data.
1 Preparation & App Setup
- Timing: Wait for a day with clear blue skies where persistent contrails are actively forming and spreading.
- ProofMode Setup: Open ProofMode and ensure it is active and ready to capture metadata.
- FlightRadar24 Setup: Have the FlightRadar24 app installed and ready to use.
2 The Wide-Angle Shot
- Location: Find an open area with an unobstructed view of the sky and the horizon.
- Capture: Using ProofMode, take a wide-angle photo that clearly shows the persistent contrails. Ensure the horizon or a fixed landmark (like a building or tree line) is visible at the bottom of the frame for scale and orientation.
3 The Sun-Angle Shot (Solar Aureole)
- Safety First: Do NOT look directly at the sun.
- Block the Sun: Position yourself so the main body of the sun is blocked by a solid object (a building edge, a thick tree branch, or a light pole).
- Capture: Using ProofMode, take a photo of the sky immediately surrounding the blocked sun. We need to see the "halo" or "aureole" effect caused by the aerosols, without the camera sensor being blinded by direct sunlight.
4 Flight Radar Verification & Submission
- Screenshot: Immediately open FlightRadar24 and take a screenshot of the airspace directly above your location. This helps correlate the trails with specific commercial or military flights.
- Metadata: Fill out the provided Evidence Metadata JSON file with your specific mission details.
- Upload: Upload the ProofMode zip files (containing the Wide-Angle and Sun-Angle photos), the FlightRadar24 screenshot, and the completed JSON metadata file to the RENSIC portal.
Mission Budget Breakdown
Total Funding Necessary: $150
The money will be used for the Rewards. Payout $5 for a verified submission (total 30 tasks) via PayPal.
Mission Timeline
Mission Created
The "Sky-Scan" Audit initialized. Initial funding round opened.
Data Collection Phase
Users capture time-stamped, wide-angle sky photos.
Atmospheric Data Generation
Over 12 months, Rensic will show an "Aerosol Density Map".
Activity Log
Mission started. Awaiting first submissions.
Audit Results
Results will be populated as verified data is collected.
How do you want to participate?
This is a Live Test Mission and needs 30 people to do a quick test (takes 5 minutes; see Overview and Protocol tabs). We'll pay $5 via PayPal - no catch - to the first 30 people who send their results to our email info@rensic.com.
Minimum contribution: $10.00
This mission is currently in manual funding phase. All contributions are tracked publicly. Full platform automation launching Q3 2026.
NOTE: All transactions are securely processed and tracked for Escrow services.
Milestone 1 is Fully Funded! Any new contributions will be applied directly toward the next Milestone.