Has anyone here heard of cloud seeding? I was talking to a co-worker about it and I have since done some limited research (google search) on the subject and I find it quite interesting. We are haveing a drought here in Washington and from what I understand there is a government (DOE) intallation near my town that is trying to do this.

Que

Que

they've done this for decades.

this is the first that I have heard of it. Acording to the articles that I read, research for it goes as far back as the 1920's. I just find it interesting.

Que

This blurb refers to the parade in Moscow that celebrated the ending of WWII a couple of weeks ago.

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Cloud seeding

Soviet-era experience in ensuring perfect weather conditions for military parades came into play for the VE Day parade.

Heavy rain fell half-an-hour before the military parade was due to start, with Mr Putin sheltering under a black umbrella to greet guests.

But the Russian air force stepped in, with specially equipped planes that battled clouds upwind of Moscow by using chemical dispersal agents.

The rain then eased off, with patches of blue sky emerging just minutes before the parade got under way.

- ABC/AFP

Girlfriends in China right now...

They do this there...but instead of trying to get rid of the rain...they spread an agent in the sky and it rains the next day. I should do some research...curious about the specifics of it all.

Silver Iodide, I think, is sprayed from planes and it helps to produce rain. It Does Work, but not in sufficient quantity for a prolonged rainfall but is more local to the area sprayed. Nothing like a slow moving low pressure system . . . very cost ineffective, too . . .

As said earlier this is something that has been tried for a long time and has proved only marginally effective. It was also thought to be effective in reducing the strength of hurricanes but evidence did not bare this out.

I believe because the effects were so marginal and random that it is not much used today.

Wagner

They discussed this in my favortie book as a kid, The Mad Scientists Club.

Que,

There's a good study located here:

http://rams.atmos.colostate.edu/gkss.html 

I remember this as a kid, I don't think it works very well, but the concept is neat.