Effectiveness of Cloud Seeding Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Effectiveness of Cloud Seeding - Research Paper Example Despite the increasing application, there are questions that have been raised relating to the technology and its practical uses, especially in regard to its effectiveness. The aim of this paper is to address such questions by analyzing the effectiveness of cloud seeding. Application of Cloud Seeding In China, during the period preceding the Olympics festivals, cloud seeding was used to cause rain and snow. This technology was specifically applied in Northern China and was successful to the extent that in snowed for the first time in Hebei, around Beijing (Moseman, 2009). The Chinese capital had not witnessed any precipitation before this from the previous October. The precipitation formed as a result of cloud seeding was significant and caused at least the closure of 12 area highways in or near Beijing. Cloud seeding in this case saved China from the pangs of the worst drought in the country’s history in the last few decades. The seeding of clouds by the Chinese government to cause the snowstorm involved the use of over 40 sticks of silver iodide, each the size of a cigarette stick Beijing (Moseman, 2009). ... In this way, they will no longer be distributed all over the atmosphere as tiny droplets but regroup into few big droplets. Fog removal is important especially where high visibility is paramount such as in airports. Studies have indicated the high level of effectiveness of cloud seeding in removing fog and clouds from affected areas (Ryan & King, 1997). The technology is effective in a few square miles and often in a matter of hours. Lightning suppression has a high economic value to both humans and the environment. Lightening can cause death and sometimes leads to the ignition of forest fires. When thunderheads are seeded with tiny aluminium fibers, they tend to dissipate some of their electrical charges in the cloud. Very little study has been conducted on the effectiveness of this method in respect of lightning suppression. However, the little research conducted so far have given promising results (Ryan & King, 1997). Cloud seeding and rain production Rain is an important factor i n the production of plant crops and during the rearing of animals. This is because rain is, in most cases, the main source of water in many areas. Even without considering agricultural productivity, rain is useful in that it helps in the regulation of temperatures and in containing dust and improving humidity. In fact, in desert areas such as the California's Mojave Desert, it is a rare resource, its preciousness far beyond measure. Essentially, cloud seeding has been applied in many jurisdictions as a water management strategy, in many cases the technology being applied with an aim of causing rain. This is done by distributing chemical substances in the clouds, one common substance used in this respect being dry ice. The effectiveness of cloud