In the News: Cloud Seeding in Santa Barbara

Hey Readers!

I came across this article from KEYT Channel 3 out of Santa Barbara about the possibility of cloud seeding tonight as temperatures and cloud conditions are perfect for this process.

And I asked...what is cloud seeding?! The only thing I've heard of this was more along the lines of conspiracy theories and so I paid it little attention. So I did a little research that I thought I'd share and let you decide for yourself!

First of all...to make clouds you need a few things:

1. Air saturated with moisture (water vapor)
2. Air lifting (this is caused by differences in air temperature and pressure)
3. Cloud nuclei (particulates such as dust that will provide a surface for water to accumulate on)

So the whole thought around cloud seeding is using optimal cloud conditions and then adding more particles to the equation to increase possible rainfall. Particles include salt, dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) or silver iodide. They use this with cold clouds which result in the formation of snow and ice and warm clouds which will result in rainfall. 

What are the Pros and Cons?? That's still up for debate. With the drought California has been dealing with this year we can all agree increased rainfall sounds awesome. Check out this You Tube video about cloud seeding as a way to combat climate change. (The first 3 minutes will give you a good enough idea).

The biggest con is that the silver in silver iodide is known to be highly insoluble (doesn't break down in water) and can be toxic in large amounts. As of yet there are not many studies into what environmental effects this silver has on plants, animals and human health. There are also questions of its overall effectiveness as results have varied for different countries who have given it a try. Alongside that is the fact that acquiring enough silver to effectively control weather can be extremely expensive. This HowStuffWorks article goes more into cloud seeding and China's quest to control the weather in their region. 

Other questions raised are: what are the long term effects of this procedure? Is this causing droughts in areas that would normally get rainfall? 

That's it for me tonight - hope you enjoyed the little weather lesson and remember...

Get Involved by Getting Informed :)