Scientists Zap Clouds With Electricity To Make Them Rain 29
A new experiment has shown that zapping clouds with electrical charge can alter droplet sizes in fog or, potentially, help a constipated cloud to rain. From a report: Last year Giles Harrison, from the University of Reading, and colleagues from the University of Bath, spent many early mornings chasing fogs in the Somerset Levels, flying uncrewed aircraft into the gloop and releasing charge. Their findings, published in Geophysical Research Letters, showed that when either positive or negative charge was emitted, the fog formed more water droplets.
The findings could be put to good use in dry regions of the world, such as the Middle East and north Africa, as a means of encouraging clouds to release their rain. Cloud droplets are larger than fog droplets and so more likely to collide, and Harrison and his colleagues believe that adding electrical charge to a cloud could help droplets to stick together and become more weighty.
The findings could be put to good use in dry regions of the world, such as the Middle East and north Africa, as a means of encouraging clouds to release their rain. Cloud droplets are larger than fog droplets and so more likely to collide, and Harrison and his colleagues believe that adding electrical charge to a cloud could help droplets to stick together and become more weighty.
Releasing what moisture there is (Score:5, Insightful)
Who says the moisture in the clouds in the middle east is unlimited? If we make it fall, will it affect weather in other places?
It's a closed system. (Score:2)
So yea, it will absolutely have (butterfly) effects elsewhere.
Re: It's a closed system. (Score:1)
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So yea, it will absolutely have (butterfly) effects elsewhere.
Couldn't they just release more bees into the clouds? Slashdot Oct 26 [slashdot.org]
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And how can this be? (Score:2)
For... he is the Kwisatz Haderach!
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China has been seeding clouds for a while, effectively stealing rain from other areas/counties. Possible other counties as well....
Re: Releasing what moisture there is (Score:2)
Everyone here wants to hop on the stealing concept which is funny for two reasons.
First there is no legal precedent for anything that would make that theft in any country, union, or international law. I would love any legal armchair warriors to find that precedent but I'm someone will double down on that doesn't make it right rhetoric which maybe fair until we understand the second reason.
Climate change, especially global warming means more water vapor is trapped in the atmosphere and it goes further in lan
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Everyone here wants to hop on the stealing concept which is funny for two reasons.
First there is no legal precedent for anything that would make that theft in any country, union, or international law. I would love any legal armchair warriors to find that precedent but I'm someone will double down on that doesn't make it right rhetoric which maybe fair until we understand the second reason.
Well, if there is nothing to stop country A from having the clouds that would bring rain to country B, and it is not even a crime, then yes, any country I was at war with would find themselves in a drought.
Re: Releasing what moisture there is (Score:4, Insightful)
There is plenty of precedent for things like rivers that are shared by multiple countries.
Re:Releasing what moisture there is (Score:5, Insightful)
Who says the moisture in the clouds in the middle east is unlimited? If we make it fall, will it affect weather in other places?
O hell yes there will be effects.
This is something just waiting to be weaponized. Make all the rain be dumped before it reaches your enemy. Tactical long game.
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The "findings could be put to use" is aimed at news reporters (and sometimes makes it easier to get a grant).
The interesting thing here is understanding how lightning (and other electricity) interacts with clouds to produce rain.
Shocking! (Score:3, Funny)
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Foggy accidents. (Score:4, Interesting)
More importantly could this be placed along highways to dissipate fog and reduce accidents?
This sound like wacky reverse logic (Score:5, Funny)
"If we put the lighting in clouds, they will rain"
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Hmmm, I have a question (Score:2)
Re: HAARP (Score:2)
Came here for the summary, (Score:3)
but went away with the phrase "constipated cloud". I can't un-hear and un-see what my brain just came up with as a result.
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Arm the capacitors (Score:2)
Deploy the nets.
Zapping clouds (Score:2)
Constipated cloud (Score:2)
Enter âoeconstipated cloudâ into your favorite AI Image generator.