Rainmaking experiments boom amid worsening drought
Cloud seeding can be relatively cheap compared with other water management strategies, like desalination, a chemical process that removes salts and other minerals from water to make it safe for drinking. But there’s a catch. It’s notoriously difficult to design experiments that demonstrate how well the technology actually works (Climatewire, March 16, 2021). Even as researchers work to develop more effective forms of cloud seeding, scientists say it’s hard to tell for sure if it makes a difference. … Cloud seeding hasn’t changed much since the technology was first demonstrated in the 1940s. Clouds form as water droplets condense in the sky. Certain types of particles are good at attracting water or ice and, in theory, can help speed the process along. Silver iodide and other kinds of salt particles have been commonly used in cloud seeding for decades.
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