Cloud Seeding Data
CloudSeeding.RdOur lives depend on rainfall. Consequently, scientists have long investigated whether humans can intervene and, as needed, help nature produce more rainfall. In one study, researchers in southern Florida explored whether injecting silver iodide into cumulus clouds would lead to increased rainfall. On each of 52 days that were judged to be suitable for cloud seeding, a target cloud was identified and a plane flew through the target cloud in order to seed it. Randomization was used to determine whether or not to load a seeding mechanism and seed the target cloud with silver iodide on that day. Radar was used to measure the volume of rainfall from the selected cloud during the next 24 hours. The results from Simpson, Olsen, and Eden, (1975) measure rainfall in volume units of acre-feet, “height” of rain across one acre.