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<br />to determine how precipitation can be altered in various growing-season <br />weather conditions in the Midwest and the impacts of such alterations on all <br />facets of agriculture. <br /> <br />The plan also calls for a Federal-State-Local Cooperative Program in <br />precipitation enhancement. This program will provide scientific and technical <br />assistance to state and local groups, will include Federal assistance to state <br />ani local agencies in developing contingency plans for applying weather <br />modification technology to reduce drought conditions, and will provide funds <br />to help evaluate operational projects. The state and local operational <br />projects will, in turn, provide information helpful in establishing future <br />emphases in the Federal research and development program. <br /> <br />First priority in precipitation enhancement will go to strengthening <br />existing projects. Second priority will be given to the Midwest Cumulus <br />Experiment and the proposed cooperation becween Federal and state governments <br />to evaluate operational state programs and promote technology transfer. <br /> <br />4. Hurricane Moderation Research <br /> <br />The goal of the current hurricane amelioration research program, Project <br />STO~FURY, is to assess the effectiveness of cloud seeding for reducing the <br />damage potential of mature hurricanes by reducing maximum low-level winds <br />within the storm. The present STORMFURY hypothesis proposes that silver <br />iodide seeding in the first major cloud band outside the hurricane eyewall can <br />initiate a chain of events within the hurricane cloud system that will result <br />in a redistribution of the wind energy concentrated near the storm1s center so <br />that the original eyewall will weaken, a ne<N eyewall will form at a larger <br />radius, and maximum winds will be decreased. This hypothesis was developed <br />through numerical experimentation with a simple hurricane model, and it was <br />the basis for seeding experiments conducted in Hurricane Debbie in 1969 with <br />encouraging results. For various reasons, including inadequate resources and <br />the lack of eligible storms, additional seeding experiments to further test <br />the hypothesis have not been possible. <br /> <br />This plan recommends an enhanced long-term hurricane modification <br />research program consisting of fundamental research, in-situ observations, <br />theoretical and analytical studies, numertcal model development and <br />experimentation, and seeding ~~perimentation. Specific objectives of this <br />program, in order of , priority, are to (1) investigate the hypothetical <br />physical linkages within the storm, (2) develop hurricane IllOdels that will <br />allow realistic numerical simulation of seeding, (3) investigate scale <br />interactions within the hurricane, (4)' assess the effects or seedi~ on <br />precipitation and storm track, (5) replicate the Debbie experiment, and (6) <br />examine other modification hypotheses. <br /> <br />s. Other Severe Storm Abatement <br /> <br />Xost severe storm phenomena (hail, flash floods. lightning, and <br />tornadoes) are associated with thunderstorms or mesoscale thunderstorm <br />systems. The greatest need is for research into the inner worki~s and <br /> <br />viii <br />