Why in News
The Supreme Court told the Uttarakhand government that rain gods or cloud-seeding would not douse the forest fires that had claimed five lives in the State
SC urged, the Uttarakhand government have to take preventive measures
Cloud Seeding
It is the process of artificially generating rain by implanting clouds with particles such as silver iodide crystals.
Cloud seeding uses planes to spray clouds with chemicals to condense smaller particles into larger rain droplets.
Cloud Seeding Methods:
Static Cloud Seeding:
This method involves introducing ice nuclei, such as silver iodide or dry ice, into cold clouds that have supercooled liquid water droplets
The ice nuclei can trigger the formation of ice crystals or snowflakes, which can grow at the expense of the liquid droplets and fall as precipitation.
Dynamic Cloud Seeding:
Dynamic cloud seeding is a method of inducing rain by boosting vertical air currents.
The process is considered more complex than static cloud seeding because it depends on a sequence of events working properly.
Hygroscopic Cloud Seeding:
This method involves spraying fine particles of hygroscopic materials, such as salts through flares or explosives into the base of warm clouds
The particles can act as cloud condensation nuclei and increase the number and size of the cloud droplets, which can enhance the reflectivity and stability of the clouds.
Applications:
Cloud seeding is done to enhance winter snowfall and increase mountain snowpack, which can supplement the natural water supply for communities in the surrounding area
Cloud seeding can also be done to prevent hailstorms, dissipate fog, induce rainfall in drought-prone regions, or reduce air pollution.
Challenges:
Cloud seeding requires the presence of moisture-filled clouds, which are not always available or predictable.
Cloud seeding does not occur during times when additional precipitation would be problematic, such as times of high flood risk or busy holiday travel periods.
Cloud seeding may have negative effects on the environment and health, such as altering the natural water cycle, contaminating the soil and water with chemicals, or affecting the local climate
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