Answers
Stumper #44
- 1. In which of these circumstances has cloud seeding not been used?
- a. The weakening of a hurricane.
- b. Reduction of the size of hailstones.
- c. Dissipation of cool fogs.
- d. Turning the Ho Chi Minh Trail into impassable muds.
- e. Cooling volcanic lava.
2. What is the serious ethical question that must be considered if rainmaking becomes a more successful strategy?
Answer: Who and what is likely to be affected by the rainmaking which could affect another state or nation's cloud system resulting in droughts or floods?
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Cloud and storm-related events which are often the target for cloud seeding programs include rainfall, snow, fog, lightning, hail and devastating winds from severe storms.
The American Meteorological Society's official position is that there has been some statistical evidence showing a 10 percent increase in precipitation after cloud-seeding, but no conclusive cause and effect.
A Reference with more information about clouds: http://vortex.plymouth.edu/clouds.html
Quoted from:www.edwardsaquifer.net/eckhardt.html
The Edwards Aquifer Homepage by Gregg Eckhardt
Several programs in Texas resulted in what was concluded to be increased rainfall. The oldest program was started in 1971 by the Colorado River Municipal Water District. Their target area has been about 3,600 square miles in the upper Colorado River basin upstream from Spence Reservoir. The long-term results report a 34% increase above normal historic precipitation in the seeded areas (Jones, 1988, 1997). In 1986 the Southwest Cooperative Program (SWCP) was started as a cooperative effort between Oklahoma and Texas to randomly seed clouds over 5,000 square miles between Midland-Odessa and Lubbock. From 1986 to 1994, 93 seedings were performed and rainfall was compared with 90 non-seeded storm cells. The results indicated increased rainfall. Compared to the non-seeded cells, the seeded clouds increased in height by 7%, rainfall coverage increased by 43%, duration of storms increased 36%, and volume of rain increased 130% (Rosenfeld and Woodley, 1993). Since the early 1960s a good deal of study has gone into the effects of climate modification. The long term effects could be quite significant.
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