Laserfiche WebLink
<br />000107 <br /> <br />systems have led to a much improved understanding of the chain of <br />physical events leading to precipitation. Problems in implementing <br />operational cloud seeding programs have been recognized and can be <br />overcome with current instrumentation, communication, and data <br />processing systems. While uncertainties remain, a useful tech- <br />nology of snowfall and runoff enhancement by a well conceived and <br />conducted CREST Program can be demonstrated. Further, continued <br />physical investigations will allow the technology to be refined with <br />time so that the efficiency and effectiveness of precipitation aug- <br />mentation can be improved. <br /> <br />The general hypothesis for seeding winter orographic clouds to increase <br />snowpack and runoff can be summarized as follows: <br /> <br />a. The flow of moist air over mountain barriers produces liquid <br />water condensate at rates determined by the temperature, humidity, <br />and upward motion of the air. The condensate, consisting of very <br />small droplets, tends to evaporate rapidly in the lee of mountain <br />barriers due to downward motion and associated warming of the air. <br /> <br />b. The condensate tends to remain in the liquid state at tempera- <br />tures colder than 0 .C due to the relative scarcity of ice nuclei in <br />the free atmosphere, particularly at temperatures between about 0 <br />and -20 .C. The condensate is then referred to as a "supercooled <br />cloud." <br /> <br />c. Ice particles present in a supercooled orographic cloud grow at <br />the expense of the supercooled droplets, rapidly becoming much <br />larger than the droplets and, thus, achieving far greater settling <br />velocities. Initial ice particle growth is by diffusion due to the <br />difference in equilibrium vapor pressure over water and ice. <br />Further growth may also occur due to accretion of liquid cloud <br />droplets freezing directly on the ice particles colliding with them, <br />aggregation (collecting together of the ice particles), or both. <br />However, total ice particle growth is often by diffusion only. If <br />total ice particle growth and associated settling are sufficient, <br />some particles reach the surface of the mountain barrier as snow- <br />flakes prior to evaporation of the condensate and subsequent sub- <br />limation of the remaining ice particles to the lee of the barrier. <br /> <br />d. The ice particle concentration is sometimes less than required <br />for maximum precipitation fallout. In such cases, increasing the <br />ice particle concentration can convert more of the condensate to <br />snow and decrease the amount of water evaporated or sublimed to the <br />lee of the barrier. <br /> <br />The general hypothesis stated above is the static seeding hypothesis as <br />applied to orographic clouds. That is, the sole effect of seeding is <br />an increase in the precipitation efficiency of the cloud systems over <br />the barrier. The ability of clouds to respond to seeding in this way <br /> <br />26 <br />