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<br />. <br /> <br />l. INTRODUCTIOl~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />by Alexis B. Longl <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Winter clouds in mountainous regions have been identified for some <br /> <br />time (Grant and Kahan, 1974") as parti.cularly susceptible to cloud <br /> <br />seeding techniques aimed at precipitation augmentation. A number of <br /> <br />experimental research projects have been conducted in order to identify <br /> <br />the conditions under which such clouds ca.n be effectively seeded (e.g., <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />see Reynolds and Dennis, 1986). <br /> <br />Many operational projects have also <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />been carried out in various mountainous pcirts of the United States. <br /> <br />The Weather Modification Advisory Board (1978) stated that some of <br /> <br />these operational projects present an opportunity for gathering research <br /> <br />information. It recommended that the Fedl~ral government provide partial <br /> <br />support to some carefully selected State or local_ projects which are <br /> <br />well designed and controlled and in which the project managers are <br /> <br />willing to modify the design to optimize information gained. Design <br /> <br />modifications would include the randomization of seeding, dispersal of <br /> <br />tracers to simulate and learn about the transport of seeding material, <br /> <br />and cloud measurements before, during and after potential seeding <br /> <br />periods. <br />In responsl~ to this recommendation of the Weather Modification <br /> <br />Advisory Board, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration <br /> <br /> <br />(NOAA) commissioned the design of a program of Federal/State/local <br /> <br /> <br />cooperative weather modification research (Grant and Mielke, 1982). An <br /> <br /> <br />interim report of this design study (Grunt, Mielke, and Von der Haar, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />1 Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />-l- <br /> <br />