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<br />.~ <br /> <br />2. PROJELf DESIGN <br /> <br />The design of the program \oJas based on the tedmiques developed dur- <br />ing the 1967-74 research project (Thompson et a1., 1975) conducted by <br />NA\~C in Santa Barbara County under the joint sponsorship of the Navy and <br />the Bureau of Reclamation. This research program developed and tested a <br />new and highly efficient seeding technology which is much more effective <br />than the methods used earlier in this area. The cost of this development <br />and testing program was over one million dollars and the results have <br />already been transferred to operational projects elsm"here. <br /> <br />The basic concept of the Santa Barbara Research Program is that win- <br />ter storms in this area have large variations in seeding potential and) <br />therefore, the supply of ice-forming nuclei (silver iodide) should be <br />delivered in the correct concentrations to those portions of the storm <br />which have a natural deficiency. A special stonn study (Elliott and <br />fbvind, 1964) conducted by NAWC's research affiliate, Aerometric Research, <br />Inc. (ARl), and sponsored by the National Science Foundation during the <br />1960-62 period, showed the presence of bands of organized convection <br />which contained stronger updrafts, higher cloud tops, abundant moisture, <br />and a very high seeding potential. These convection bands generally pro- <br />duce about one-half of the total storm precipitation in this area. The <br />1967-74 research program was designed to deliver a relatively large amount <br />of silver iodide directly into these convective ba.nds and not to seed the <br />between band precipitation. The seeding was randomized so that only half <br />of the convective bands were actually treated, while the other half \"ere <br />reserved for comparison rurposes. <br /> <br />The Santa Barbara Research Program was conducted in t\oJO phases. Phase <br />I ran from 1967 -71. During this period the seeding ,,,as conducted from a <br />single ground site at the crest of Refugio Pass. During the second phase <br />seeding was carried out from an aircraft flying just off the coast of <br />western Santa Barbara County in the airspace controlled by Vandenberg Air <br />Force Base. <br /> <br />2-1 <br />