Artificial Rains:
Delhi’s Environment Minister recently chaired a meeting with key government agencies to explore the feasibility of artificial rain through cloud seeding.
- Artificial rain refers to the process of inducing precipitation through cloud seeding, a weather modification technique.
- It is primarily used to enhance rainfall, combat drought conditions, and reduce air pollution.
- The method involves dispersing chemicals like silver iodide, potassium iodide, and dry ice into clouds to encourage the formation of raindrops using aircraft or helicopters.
- These chemicals act as nuclei around which water vapour condenses to form larger droplets, eventually leading to rainfall.
- The success of cloud seeding depends on the presence of sufficient moisture and appropriate atmospheric conditions.
- Types of Cloud Seeding
- Hygroscopic Cloud Seeding: Accelerates the merging of droplets in liquid clouds, making them large enough to fall as rain.
- Glaciogenic Cloud Seeding: Introduces ice-forming agents into supercooled clouds, converting water vapour into ice crystals, which then melt into rain.
