Cloud seeding might not be as effective as once believed, report reveals
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Cloud seeding is an idea that’s often thrown around as a solution to our state’s drought, but manipulating the weather to make it rain might not be as effective as once thought.
A nonpartisan government agency recently completed a report on cloud seeding, and they found the science may not be as promising as the hype.
Cloud seeding is the process of sending tiny particles, like salt or Silver iodide, into a cloud, which encourages it to rain and snow even more than it would have originally.
Cloud seeding is nothing new. It’s been around since the 1940s.
“There’s peer reviewed literature that is available that has shown that cloud seeding can work. Now the ability of it to always work, that’s another question,” said University of Arizona professor of Atmospheric Science Armin Sorooshian.
The recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report found the effectiveness of cloud seeding to be very limited and might not be the prime solution for areas experiencing drought.
According to the report, cloud seeding can produce about 10% to 20% extra rainfall. However, one of the main problems they found is that those numbers are estimates.
There is no way to see if it’s actually that effective. Something Sorooshain said was not surprising.
Despite the recent report showing it may not be as effective as once thought, Professor Sorooshian said cloud seeding is still worth researching.
“Cloud seeding is not something that should just be dismissed 100%. However, I don’t think it’s a solution to the problem. It’s good to know that there is this mechanism that exists that can maybe help a little. Now, how much that little is, that’s hard to quantify,” he said.
In the U.S., cloud seeding research is mostly done at the state level. Right now, Arizona does not cloud seed; however, all neighboring states do, including those along the Colorado River, a major water source for the state.
SRP is looking to see if it’s viable in the white mountains in eastern Arizona. This research project is being done with the White Mountain Apache tribe, Arizona Department of Water Resources, Phoenix and Tempe.
Central Arizona Project invested over $600,000 in weather modification research last year but has no plans to do cloud-seeding in Arizona. They’re focused on the Upper Basin studies, primarily in Wyoming and Colorado, which affects the Colorado River watershed.
The report also stated they don’t see any current environmental or health problems with sending particles into clouds. However, it says there is not enough research to tell if there could be widespread testing.
The report states that more research needs to be done and points out that other countries like China, Japan, Australia, and the UAE invest more than the U.S. does in their own research.
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