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<br />002573 <br /> <br />CONTRACTOR: University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming <br />CONTRACT NO. 7-07-83-V0001 <br />PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Donald L. Veal <br />PERIOD: January 1,1977 - Continuing <br />FUNDING: FY77 - $812,770 (total funding) <br />FY78 - $883,364 <br /> <br />The contractor is performin9 cloud physics research and experimental <br />precipitation enhancement investigations in connection with HIPLEX, <br />the Colorado River Basin Program, and the SCPP. Studies for SCPP and <br />the Colorado River are discussed in those sections of this report. <br /> <br />The University operated its Queen Air at HIPLEX sites from May <br />through August 1977 while the King Air was acquired and instrumented. <br />The King Air is a unique state-of-the-art atmospheric physics labora- <br />tory equipped with a full complement of weather monitoring instru- <br />ments and an onboard computer system to direct data collection and <br />display. In addition, a ground data system, housed in a trailer, is <br />taken into the field with the aircraft. The system provides the <br />capability for rather complete data analysis in the field and for <br />examining the collected data immediately after each flight. Archive <br />files for the aircraft measurements are produced, and the system is <br />capable of making copies of the data tapes. In 1978, the King Air <br />was operated at Miles City, Montana, Goodland, Kansas, and South <br />Park, Colorado, in the HIPLEX research program. <br /> <br />Important progress toward several HIPLEX goals was made in 1977. <br />Solid information was gathered regarding the precipitation mechanisms <br />in natural storms, and it is reasonably certain that in the smaller <br />storms of the Miles City area, most precipitation forms by an ice- <br />phase process. Ice multiplication was found to occur in summertime <br />Montana storms, particularly in association with graupel showers. <br />Work continues on ice crystal, ice multiplication, droplet spectra, <br />and entrainment studies. Some important climatological characteris- <br />tics of clouds have been determined. Liquid water contents were <br />found to be low, and high contents which might be amenable to dynamic <br />seeding were rare. <br /> <br />Seeding trials were conducted in 1977 and 1978, and the ability to <br />deliver and detect the seeding material in clouds was verified. <br />Analysis of the trials provided tentative criteria for selecting <br />clouds for which the largest differences between natural and seeded <br />conditions should occur. Some of the candidate clouds occur in <br />postfrontal situations, and these clouds often have lower and warmer <br />bases than other suitable clouds. These criteria will be considered <br />in planning the exploratory experiment scheduled to begin in 1979. <br /> <br />111-28 <br />