Earlier this month, a peculiar phenomenon was detected by weather radar over the Dallas-Fort Worth area, raising questions and curiosity among residents and meteorologists alike. Despite clear skies and no rainfall, a wave-like formation appeared on radar screens on January 20, as reported by the National Weather Service (NWS) of Fort Worth.
In a time-lapsed video shared by NWS, a thin, irregularly shaped mass was observed sweeping across the region. The radar anomaly prompted a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where a representative from NWS expressed their confusion, stating, Wondering what this is? We were too! Our best guess is chaff.
Wondering what this is? We were too! Our best guess is chaff. The military will sometimes run exercises where they release chaff and it’s completely harmless. But it definitely shows up on radar as it is quite reflective. #dfwwx pic.twitter.com/DD4PXL1baT
— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) January 21, 2024
Chaff, a substance composed of aluminum-coated glass fibers less than one centimeter in length, is typically used as a military countermeasure to confuse enemy radar. It was first utilized during World War II by American bombers over Germany. According to a 1998 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), chaff can sometimes interfere with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) radar and cause power disruptions.
Reference article: https://www.twz.com/25438/huge-chaff-cloud-that-lit-up-radars-as-it-drifted-across-the-midwest-remains-a-mystery
INFO BOX:
Chaff, a military countermeasure used to confuse enemy radar, was invented during World War II:
- July 23, 1943: The first operational use of chaff was by the Allies, primarily the United States, Great Britain, and France, during Operation Gomorrah in Hamburg, Germany. The technique was highly effective and used throughout the rest of the war.
- December 1943: U.S. bombers began using RF chaff as a radar countermeasure.
- Mid-1943: In the Pacific, Navy Lieutenant Commander Sudo Hajime invented a Japanese version of chaff called Giman-shi, or “deceiving paper”. It was first used in night battles over the Solomon Islands and again in 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
“The military will sometimes run exercises where they release chaff, and it’s completely harmless,” the NWS Fort Worth post explained. “But it definitely shows up on radar as it is quite reflective.”
This isn’t the first instance of chaff causing confusion. Last summer, Utah scientists initially reported a massive swarm of grasshoppers on radar, which was later identified as chaff released from a nearby Air Force base, as covered by The Salt Lake Tribune.
The recent NWS Fort Worth post gained significant attention online, with some users questioning the chaff explanation.
One skeptic commented, “Yeah no. That’s a ton of chaff. The entire metroplex would be covered in it. So if you find it post it.” They further added concerns about military exercises interfering with radar around major airports, calling it irresponsible.
Others raised environmental and health concerns. “Um, research on chaff and its effects on humans is limited, so I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘harmless,'” another user pointed out.
Historically, chaff contained lead until it was replaced with aluminum in the 1980s. According to the U.S. Air Force, the impact of chaff on soil and water is minimal due to its sparse distribution. The 1998 GAO report and a 2001 Navy Medicine article suggest that chaff is generally non-toxic, though both acknowledge a gap in comprehensive research on its long-term effects.
While the mystery cloud over North Texas was likely a harmless military exercise involving chaff, it highlights the ongoing need for more research and transparency regarding the use of such countermeasures and their environmental and health impacts.
