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� A <br /> understood where possible, to inform the public and those who make decisions relating to the use of weather <br /> modification. Many stated have enacted laws that regulate the use of weather modification, and the federal <br /> government requires that all weather modification projects be reported annually. <br /> Top of Document <br /> 5. Recommendations <br /> The prospect of being able to predictably modify fogs, clouds, and precipitation in certain conditions requires <br /> continued assessment of planned weather modification techniques. Much is known about the physical processes <br /> involved in many aspects of inadvertent weather modification,but important questions remain, including those <br /> relating to large-area irrigation projects and major transportation corridors. Improved observational facilities, <br /> computer capabilities,numerical models, and understanding now permit more detailed examination of clouds <br /> and precipitation processes than ever before, and significant advances are consequently possible. However, <br /> many measurements within and near clouds are required to test and improve the models. More effort must be <br /> made to obtain these, not just for sounder weather modification but for large-scale weather and climate <br /> prediction and other uses, such as the remote sensing of precipitation. <br /> As socioeconomic factors place increasing demands on finite water resources,the demand for viable weather <br /> modification methods will logically increase. The following tasks summarize the most pressing questions: <br /> 1. The physical processes and specific conditions under which it is possible to increase, decrease, or <br /> relocate precipitation should be fully defined. The degree of change possible must be quantified to <br /> establish whether economic benefits can be realized. The use of untested weather modification <br /> techniques during severe droughts, as a means of increasing precipitation, is not recommended. <br /> Opportunities to increase precipitation are typically minimal during droughts and only well-tested <br /> techniques should be considered,realizing that only limited precipitation augmentation will probably <br /> result. <br /> 2. Hail suppression concepts should be reexamined,refined, tested, and(if necessary)modified to <br /> determine whether conditions exist under which hail can be suppressed. <br /> 3. The extent of impacts produced by inadvertent weather modification requires improved definition. <br /> Further atmospheric studies are needed of cities of varying types and in different physical settings to <br /> better understand and predict local and regional-scale weather influences from ever-growing <br /> urbanization, and to investigate the potential larger-scale atmospheric influences of major transportation <br /> corridors and extensive irrigation areas.The extent of impacts produced by inadvertent weather <br /> modification requires improved definition. Further atmospheric studies are needed of cities of varying <br /> types and in different physical settings to better understand and predict local and regional-scale weather <br /> influences from ever-growing urbanization, and to investigate the potential larger-scale atmospheric <br /> influences of major transportation corridors and extensive irrigation areas. <br /> More complete understanding and documentation of the physical processes involved in both deliberate and <br /> inadvertent weather modification is needed. These are challenging tasks requiring well-focused, long-term <br /> efforts. Breakthroughs in any of these areas are unlikely; progress will more probably continue to be <br /> evolutionary. <br /> Increasing population, shifting demographics, and the prospect of global climatic change require that water <br /> resources be managed to best alleviate the chronic shortages that are already beginning to manifest themselves. <br /> Thus,the economic feasibility of cloud modification methods needs to be determined. Likewise, actions that <br /> inadvertently modify weather or climate need to be better understood, quantified, and(if necessary)mitigated. <br /> 6 <br />