The Main Objective of Cloud Seeding - Essay Example

Cloud Seeding While many scientists around the world are trying to mitigate the effects of devastating weather in various parts of the world, there has been an increasing use of the cloud seeding methods in the recent past. Cloud seeding primarily entails the artificial modification of weather through the injection of certain substances in order to regulate the volume and size of precipitation from the clouds. This kind of weather modification had been in use since the early 1940s but the active use of cloud seeding started about two decades ago with some of the developed countries taking the lead in initiating such projects in their countries. This paper takes a closer look at the concept of cloud seeding, the types, uses, and impact on the environment (Keyes 3). The main objective of cloud seeding is to cause enhance the precipitation through rain and snow and reduce the formation of hail and fog. This technology initially launched to research on and to monitor the climatic conditions of various regions in the world has been widely adopted by world’s leading economies with the main objective of negating the effects of extreme weather conditions. Under normal circumstances, harsh weather conditions are mostly experienced in the temperate countries especially during the winter and summer (Keyes 3). Although several methods of cloud seeding exist, the most common categories are the aerial cloud seeding and ground-based cloud seeding. Aerial cloud seeding involves the use of light aircrafts in the modification of weather at a considerable height from the ground. Ground-based cloud seeding on the other hand, entails the launching of intended substances into the earth’s atmosphere to carry out the same purpose. Irrespective of the procedure used to conduct cloud seeding, the underpinning idea is the same as it is the same process conducted in different procedures. Since the essence of cloud seeding is to promote the precipitation of condensed cloud, the methodology involves the injection of certain substances or chemicals into the clouds with the most commonly used being dry ice and silver iodide (Keyes 3). In some cases, the use of propane has proved successful although scholars from certain quarters questioned its efficiency. Since for successful could seeding to take place there has to be super cooled water, the use of silver iodide has solved the problem through its ability to stimulate freezing nucleation because it is crystalline in nature. Research shows that dry ice and propane perform better than silver iodide as far as cloud seeding is concerned because they do not require existing droplets of water. This is because they rapidly cool the air so that the process of nucleation is much easier. When it comes to silver iodide, it is more effective in mid-latitude clouds where the equilibrium pressure of vapor is higher over water that when compared to over ice. This makes silver iodide more preferable for aerial cloud seeding (Keyes 4). Although aerial ground seeding is the most effective method, its cost implications some time hinder many prospective countries from conducting the program on a regular basis. During aerial cloud seeding, light aircrafts fire silver iodide into the clouds from the flare attached to them in order to attach the chemicals to the water droplets. The kind of precipitation formed will vary depending on the prevailing weather conditions. If the prevailing temperatures fall below or are almost equal to the freezing temperatures, the most probable kind of precipitation will come in terms of snow while if the same are relatively higher than the freezing temperatures, raindrops will be the probable outcome (Keyes 5). As one of the popular methods of dealing with the ever-changing climatic conditions, cloud seeding has gained wide acceptance and applications especially in the Western countries and some of the Asian countries. Perhaps one of the major applications of cloud seeding is to curb the menace of global warming, which has raised concerns in most developing and developed countries. Due to the increased environment risks caused by human activities, the world has deteriorated in terms of environmental aspects to the fact that various techniques have been devised with the intention of negating the effects of global warming. One of the common techniques against global warming is the seeding of clouds in order to control and influence the weather conditions (Keyes 7). Several countries have put forth their efforts to mitigate the effects of climatic and environmental catastrophes experienced in various parts of the world. Countries such as the US, Canada, Russia, and China have been of the forefront in controlling the weather conditions within their geographical boundaries. They have mainly exploited this process in order to increase precipitation especially the increase of rain volume to promote the agricultural activities in their respective countries. Another concern for these countries especially those located in the temperate regions of the world is the need to mitigate the damage caused by hail especially in Russia, USA, and the Polar Regions or Europe. In as much as winter helps in regulating the climate, it comes with it devastating effects such as snow and hails. Cloud seeding provides a promising approach towards succeeding in managing such risks. Perhaps the last by equally important uses of cloud seeding is the dispersion of fog. This has been especially so in Asian countries like China that always made use of the program to reduce fog caused by air pollution (Keyes 6). According to Keyes, although cloud seeding may have gained rapid popularity by some of the developed countries, many scientists, and scholars have past come strongly against this procedure in the recent, citing negative environmental concerns (8). Studies have shown that the continual use of silver iodide can incapacitate both humans and mammals temporarily or at the extreme cause residual injuries that more often than not, lead o chronic ailments. These concerns have increased the skepticism to this program from many quarters like the World Health Organization, and renowned environmental scholars. The challengers have proposed the discontinuation and probable ban on the procedure as its health implications are heavier than the environmental benefits that come with it. In general, the continued use of cloud seeding as a weather control technique has brought visible improvements in negating harsh climatic conditions. However, its perpetual use has been met with sharp cynicism, the advantages notwithstanding (Keyes 10). Works Cited Keyes, Conrad G. Guidelines for Cloud Seeding to Augment Precipitation. Reston, Va: American Society of Civil Engineers, 2006. Print. Read More