diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6cb12d9..ae08e12 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ all rings, plus the current certification artifacts.
 ![Tree Ring TUI dashboard showing ring activity, ambient rings, memories, and detail panels](docs/assets/readme-tui-dashboard.png)
 
 Dashboard view with populated cambium, outer, inner, heartwood, scar, and seed
-rings.
+rings. Ambient layers are duller at lower relative fullness and lighter as their
+share of stored memories grows; activity pulses are temporary.
 
 ![Tree Ring TUI search mode showing ranked recall results from a populated store](docs/assets/readme-tui-search.png)
 
diff --git a/crates/tree-ring-memory-cli/src/tui/mod.rs b/crates/tree-ring-memory-cli/src/tui/mod.rs
index dacf32d..b0263fc 100644
--- a/crates/tree-ring-memory-cli/src/tui/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/tree-ring-memory-cli/src/tui/mod.rs
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ mod theme;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
+use ratatui::backend::Backend;
 use ratatui::crossterm::event as terminal_event;
+use ratatui::Terminal;
 
-use app::App;
+use app::{App, AppMode};
 
 pub fn run(root: PathBuf, event_stream: Option<PathBuf>, tick_ms: u64) -> Result<(), String> {
     let tick_rate = Duration::from_millis(tick_ms.clamp(50, 5_000));
@@ -30,7 +32,10 @@ fn run_loop(
     app: &mut App,
     tick_rate: Duration,
 ) -> Result<(), String> {
+    let mut rendered_mode = app.mode;
     while !app.should_quit {
+        clear_on_mode_change(terminal, rendered_mode, app.mode).map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
+        rendered_mode = app.mode;
         terminal
             .draw(|frame| render::render(frame, app))
             .map_err(|err| err.to_string())?;
@@ -46,3 +51,48 @@ fn run_loop(
     }
     Ok(())
 }
+
+fn clear_on_mode_change<B: Backend>(
+    terminal: &mut Terminal<B>,
+    previous_mode: AppMode,
+    current_mode: AppMode,
+) -> Result<(), B::Error> {
+    if previous_mode != current_mode {
+        terminal.clear()?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use ratatui::backend::TestBackend;
+    use ratatui::text::Text;
+
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn mode_change_clears_the_terminal_for_a_full_redraw() {
+        let backend = TestBackend::new(12, 2);
+        let mut terminal = Terminal::new(backend).unwrap();
+        terminal
+            .draw(|frame| frame.render_widget(Text::raw("stale frame"), frame.area()))
+            .unwrap();
+
+        clear_on_mode_change(&mut terminal, AppMode::Default, AppMode::Search).unwrap();
+
+        assert!(!terminal.backend().to_string().contains("stale frame"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn unchanged_mode_preserves_the_current_terminal() {
+        let backend = TestBackend::new(12, 2);
+        let mut terminal = Terminal::new(backend).unwrap();
+        terminal
+            .draw(|frame| frame.render_widget(Text::raw("current"), frame.area()))
+            .unwrap();
+
+        clear_on_mode_change(&mut terminal, AppMode::Search, AppMode::Search).unwrap();
+
+        assert!(terminal.backend().to_string().contains("current"));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/docs/assets/readme-tui-dashboard.png b/docs/assets/readme-tui-dashboard.png
index 48f5e62..500a907 100644
Binary files a/docs/assets/readme-tui-dashboard.png and b/docs/assets/readme-tui-dashboard.png differ
diff --git a/docs/assets/readme-tui-evidence.png b/docs/assets/readme-tui-evidence.png
index 3b689b0..9863f34 100644
Binary files a/docs/assets/readme-tui-evidence.png and b/docs/assets/readme-tui-evidence.png differ
diff --git a/docs/assets/readme-tui-integrations.png b/docs/assets/readme-tui-integrations.png
index 6449f28..4c2ef1c 100644
Binary files a/docs/assets/readme-tui-integrations.png and b/docs/assets/readme-tui-integrations.png differ
diff --git a/docs/assets/readme-tui-search.png b/docs/assets/readme-tui-search.png
index 6a4eac4..52da30e 100644
Binary files a/docs/assets/readme-tui-search.png and b/docs/assets/readme-tui-search.png differ