Laserfiche WebLink
<br />DECEMBER 1978 <br /> <br />GERARD E. KLAZURA AND CLEMENT J. TODD <br /> <br />1767 <br /> <br />at cloud base when they reached the -50C level. In the <br />present study the nucleation of AgI particlb was <br />assumed, which would lead to a longer growth period <br />to precipitation sizes. The reason why Rokicki and <br />Young found hygroscopic seeding to be more effective <br />at the lower cloud-base temperatures (O-lOoe) may <br />be due to their stochastic growth assumption which <br />allows for the interaction with other large drops, <br />whereas in the AgI seeded situation many of the <br />interactions would be between crystals. Rokicki and <br />Young also point out that the exclusion of sedimenta- <br />tion in a parcel model results in overestimates of the <br />response to large drop seeding. <br />It was found that for faster updrafts the larger <br />hygroscopic seeds grow into precipitation and stand <br />a better chance of breaking up, while the small seeds <br />are carried to cirrus level and are lost before they <br />reach precipitation size. The requirement for larger <br />seeds becomes more critical as cloud bases become <br />higher and colder. Takeuchi found that the effective- <br />ness of hygroscopic treatments can be improved with <br />higher concentrations of larger hygroscopic particles <br />for stronger updrafts. Rokicki and Young found that <br />increasing the seed drop size hastens precipitation <br />formation significantly. <br />Hygroscopic seeding produces the greatest water <br />yield from clouds with warmest base temperatures <br />(and consequently highest liquid water concentra- <br />tions). Related to this is the fact that the vertical <br />depth of the Langmuir drop breakup region increases <br />as the cloud-base temperature increases. Takeuchi <br />found that initiation occurs earlier in clouds with a <br />given top temperature and increasing base tempera- <br />ture. He also concluded that in warmer base cloud <br />cases with updrafts of 10-15 m S-1 the chain reaction <br />of drop breakup occurs which results in complete <br />conversion of available moisture. Rokicki and Young <br />also found that hygroscopic seeding produced its <br />largest effect in warm based clouds. <br />Updraft speeds of 5-15 m S-1 are the optimum for <br />the Langmuir chain reaction to occur which then <br />should lead to the most rapid conversion of cloud <br />water to precipitation. Takeuchi found the optimum <br />updraft speed range for hygroscopic seeding to be <br />10-15 m S-1. <br />For clouds with strong updrafts (2: 15 m S-1) only <br />large hygroscopic seeds will have a chance to con- <br />vert to precipitation, and in this situation hail is <br />produced. Takeuchi's model computed appreciable <br />fallout due to hygroscopic seeding for deeper and <br />warmer Clouds for updrafts 15-20 m S-1. In these <br />cases the particles falling were hail. He concluded <br />that hygroscopic seeding would ,work well in deeper <br />clouds with moderate liquid water concentrations and <br />strong updrafts but that hail would result. <br /> <br /> <br />7. Remarks <br /> <br />The results of this study and those of Takeuchi <br />(1975) and Rokicki and Young (1978) suggest that <br />the potential for hygroscopic seeding as an effective <br />technique of enhancing precipitation from convective <br />clouds is very high. Hygroscopic seeds can be very <br />effective in producing precipitation by an all-water <br />process, but they can also be effective through the <br />ice mechanism as well since larg~ water drops freeze <br />at warmer temperatures than small ones. Rokicki and <br />Young (1978), in fact, come out strongly in favor of <br />hygroscopic over AgI seeding. They conclude that its <br />effect is generally greater than that of AgI, the physical <br />processes involved are fairly well understood, and more <br />reliable systems for dispensing hygroscopic material <br />are now becoming available. <br />There are many processes that have not been <br />simulated in this model but will have to be considered <br />before a complete understanding of precipitation <br />physics is possible. Such factors as the interaction <br />between large drops and the dynamic effects due to <br />large drop accumulation zones have to be studied <br />and understood before an accurate model will evolve. <br />In the meantime, simple models such as those dis- <br />cussed here can serve as one of the tools with which <br />to reduce some of the major uncertainties connected <br />with precipitation formation. One should, however, <br />be cautious in the use of such models and not extract <br />information that they were not designed to provide. <br /> <br />Acknowledgments. The authors are grateful to Mr. <br />Dennis :Musil, South Dakota School of Mines and <br />Technology, and Dr. C. W. Chien, Meteorology Re- <br />search, Inc., for providing us with their accretion and <br />condensation computer programs, respectively. <br /> <br />REFERENCES <br /> <br />Ackerman, B., 1974: Illinois precipitation enhancement program <br />phase L Interim Report, Bureau of Reclamation Contract <br />14-06,D-7197, Illinois State Water Survey, Urbana, 14 pp. <br />Biswas, K. R., and A. S. Dennis, 1971: Formation of a rain <br />shower by salt seeding. J. Appt. Meteor., 10, 780-784. <br />-, and -, 1972: Calculations related to formation of a rain <br />shower by salt seeding. J. Appt. Meteor., 11, 755-760. <br />Chien, C. W., and D. P. Mack, 1966: Computation of droplet <br />growth from giant salt particles in ascending air below <br />cloud base. J. Atmos. Sci., 23, 810-812. <br />Dennis, A. S., and A. Koscielski, 1972: Height and temperature <br />of first echoes in un seeded and seeded convective clouds in <br />South Dakota. J. Appl. Meteor., 6, 994-1000. <br />Draginis, lVI., 1958: Liquid water content within the convective <br />cloud~,. J. Meteor., 15,481-485. <br />Heymsfieid, A. J., P. N. Johnson and J. E. Dye, 1978: Observa- <br />tions of moist adiabatic ascent in northeast Colorado cu- <br />mulus congestus clouds. J. Atmos. Sci., 35, 1689-1703. <br />Hirsch, J. H., 1971: Computer modeling of cumulus clou?s <br />during project cloud catcher. Rep. 71-7, Inst. Atmos. SC1., <br />South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 61 pp. <br />-, and C. L. Schock, 1968: Cumulus cloud characteristics <br />over western South Dakota. J. Appl. Meteor., 7, 882-885. <br />Kopcewicz, T., 1965: Selected problems in hail physics and <br />hail suppression. Przegl. Geofiz., Warsaw Univ., 10, 84 pp. <br /> <br />