In 2017, Friedrich’s research group had a breakthrough in measuring the effect of cloud seeding. “The problem is that once we modify a cloud, it’s really difficult to say what would’ve happened if you hadn’t cloud-seeded.” It’s hard enough to predict weather without messing with it artificially. While the process is fairly straightforward, measuring how effective it is in the real world is not, according to Friedrich. When the droplets touch a particle of silver iodide, “they freeze, then they can start merging with other ice crystals, become snowflakes and fall out of the cloud.” Silver iodide is very similar in structure to an ice crystal. “When we do cloud seeding, we are looking for clouds that have tiny super-cooled liquid droplets,” she explains. Katja Friedrich, a professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder in the U.S., is a leading researcher on cloud seeding. In this episode of “The Conversation Weekly,” we speak with three researchers about the simple yet murky science of cloud seeding, the economic effects it can have on agriculture, and research that may allow governments to use cloud seeding in more places. But only recently have scientists been able to peer into clouds and begin to understand how effective cloud seeding really is. For nearly 80 years, an approach called cloud seeding has, in theory, given people the ability to get more rain and snow from storms and make hailstorms less severe.
Small amounts of rain can mean the difference between struggle and success. If you could control the weather, would you? When a drought leads to fires, crop failures and water shortages, the significance of weather becomes vitally important. (THE CONVERSATION) When an unexpected rainstorm leaves you soaking wet, it is an annoyance.
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