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Last modified
7/28/2009 2:33:58 PM
Creation date
3/5/2008 10:53:13 AM
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Weather Modification
Title
Summary of the NOAA/Utah Atmospheric Modification Program: 1990-1996
Date
9/1/1998
State
UT
Weather Modification - Doc Type
Report
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<br />6. MISCELLANEOUS ASSOCIATED WORK <br /> <br />. <br />. <br /> <br />A number of topics were explored during the Plateau program that do not fit under the above section <br />headings. Consequently, these are included here. <br /> <br />6.1 Effect of Type II Statistical Errors on Experimental Duration <br /> <br />Heimbach and Super (1992, 1996) explored the important problem of encountering type II statistical <br />errors in past randomized weather modification experiments. A type II error occurs when an experiment <br />fails to detect an actual response to seeding, usually because the experimental unit population is too <br />limited. Many experiments did not estimate the duration (population size) needed to achieve an <br />acceptably low probability of encountering a type II error, say 10 percent. If an experiment failed to <br />indicate a seeding effect upon completion (usually determined by the sponsor's patience and available <br />-resources), the "failure" may have been caused by a type II error. The only valid conclusion from such an <br />experiment is that it failed to demonstrate anything about seeding effectiveness. Unfortunately, the <br />incorrect interpretation is often given; that is, that the seeding approach did not produce the desired effect. <br /> <br />,- <br /> <br />When attempts were made to estimate the experimental duration needed to demonstrate real seeding <br />effects, it was usually assumed that each treated unit would respond in the same manner. But a <br />"'. considerable body of physical evidence shows this assumption to be improbable. The effectiveness of <br />seeding can be expected to vary widely depending upon cloud and airflow conditions. Heimbach and <br />Super (1992, 1996) investigated the more likely possibility that different experimental units (storms or <br />days) have different responses to treatment. They demonstrated that this more realistic response leads to <br />much longer experimental durations than if every treated unit responded uniformly. This important <br />finding raises the question of whether many of the past seeding experiments that were interpreted as <br />failures were simply too brief to demonstrate real seeding responses. Of course, if their physical ~esign <br />was flawed, they should have failed whatever their duration. But the point is that little can be gleaned <br />. about the seeding effectiveness of many past statistical experiments because of the uncertainty of whether <br />they had type II errors. While Heimback and Super (1996) made recommendations for possible <br />improvements in future statistical experiments, their main recommendation was that such experiments be <br />postponed until a much improved physical understanding emerges. An improved physical understanding <br />was the main goal of the Pl;iteau work. <br /> <br />6.2 Runoff Increases Associated with Snowfall Enhancement <br /> <br />. . <br /> <br />Super and McPartland (1993) reported on an investigation of likely runoff increases from an assumed <br />seasonal snowpack increase of 10 percent. Cloud seeding programs are usually evaluated in term of <br />seasonal percentage increases of snow water equivalent, but water users are interested in streamflow <br />enhancement. Historical snow water equivalent and streamflow measurements were used from high <br />elevation watersheds in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Drainages were selected for-which streamflow <br />measurements were not significantly affected by upstream diversions and were not regulated by upstream <br />reservoirs. A simple linear regression analysis predicted seasonal streamflow increases between 6 and <br />21 percent. Ten percent or more additional runoffwas estimated for most drainages for the assumed <br />10 percent snow water equivalent increase, an encouraging result. Reasons for differing responses were <br />discussed which included variations in geology, vegetation, drainage slope, and aspect. <br /> <br />25 <br /> <br />
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