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<br />('f, <br /> <br />Silver iodide plumes released from foothill generators frequently had trajectories parallel to <br />the mountain barrier rather than over it. Targeting was more successful downwind from higher <br />elevation generators above 6600 ft. Extensive snow chemistry analysis was used to examine <br />targeting effectiveness at 14 sampling sites within the intended target areas. A total of 1,68 I <br />individual snow samples were collected for chemical analysis of silver concentration soon after <br />seeding events. Less than 15 percent of the samples il".dicated any silver greater than back wound <br />levels. In summarizing the silver sampling program, Reynolds et aI. (1989) concluded that, "These <br />are disturbing results, even if one considers only scavenging, in that the Agl must not have passed <br />over large regions of the target during precipitation events. Much of the AgI may be transported <br />westward or northwestward at low levels, effectively not passing over the barrier." <br /> <br />Finding evidence of seeding silver in less that 15 percent of such a large number of snow <br />samples from long-term projects is beyond disturbing. It provides convincing physical evidence <br />that the seeding programs were ineffective during the large majority of stonn passages, regardless <br />of what any statistical analysis might suggest. Experience with numerous weather modification <br />projects and experiments over the past 50 years has repeatedly shown that serious pitfalls are <br />possible with statistical analyses not supported by solid physical evidence. But it is difficult to <br />seriously argue with good physics. <br /> <br />Similar poor targeting results were reported by Warburton et al. (1995a) for two large target <br />areas in the Sierra Nevada. They showed that on average no more than 20 percent of the <br />precipitation falling during seeding operations had seeding silver over several winters in the <br />Truckee-Tahoe region. Silver concentrations were above threshold in 42 percent of the westerly <br />wind seeded events in the Lake Almanor region, but only 8 percent with southerly flow, again <br />showing lack of proper targeting in about 80 percent of all cases. Their "threshold" value, used to <br />separate seeded from nonseeded snow, was shown to be about 4 parts per trillion (ppt) by weight. <br />They concluded that, "It is considered reasonable to assume that when precipitation does not <br />contain seeding silver above the 'threshold' value then there has been very little, if any impact by the <br />seeding process." <br /> <br />Snow samples were collected at various locations in Utah as part of an evaluation of a long- <br />term operational program. Silver iodide seeding was done with valley generators except for a few <br />locations with in-canyon generators. Analysis of silver-in-snow concentrations in the Tushar <br />~ountains and Sevier Plateau of southern Utah was reported by Long (1984). Only 11 of 145 snow <br />~ples (7.6 percent) had silver contents greater than background levels at the 5 percent <br />Significance level, established at 11.6 ppt.. Indium oxide was also released as a tracer and only 2.8 <br />percent of samples exceeded the 5 percent significance level; that is, fewer than expected by <br />chance. These results indicate very poor targeting for the Tushar Mountains. <br /> <br />Later snow sampling was reported for northern and central Utah by Super and Huggins <br />(1992). Snow samples were collected in northern Utah after each stonn or series of stonns with <br />sampling interVals ranging from a few to several days. Besides examining all northern Utah <br />samples, an attempt was made to select only "well-seeded" samples, by reference to the operational <br />seeding generator log and periods of snowboard exposure. But the frequency distribution of silver- <br />in-snow concentrations from that attempt, as well as from all samples, both resembled the <br /> <br />10 <br /> <br />