Cloud seeding, another name for artificial rain, is a method of modifying the weather with the goal of creating precipitation by adding different materials to clouds. Silver iodide, potassium iodide, and liquid propane are the materials most frequently utilized for cloud seeding. These materials function as ice nuclei or cloud condensation, giving water droplets a surface on which to develop and expand. Here is a quick rundown of the substances that are frequently used in cloud seeding:
AgI, or silver iodide:
The most used cloud seeding agent is this one. Due to its ice-like crystal structure, silver iodide can act as the nucleus around which ice crystals form when added to a cloud. Then, as precipitation, these ice crystals grow and descend.
K+ Iodide Potassium
Potassium iodide is utilized as a cloud seeding agent, just like silver iodide. It may serve as the center for the creation of ice crystals, accelerating the onset of precipitation.
Liquid Propane (C3H8): Burning liquid propane creates tiny ice crystals that are used in certain cloud seeding techniques. The energy required for the creation of ice particles is provided by the heat generated during burning.
In hygroscopic seeding, where the particles absorb moisture from the air to promote cloud droplet production and expansion, calcium
chloride (CaCl2) is occasionally employed as a salt.
It’s crucial to remember that although cloud seeding has been used to increase precipitation in many areas, scientists continue to disagree over how beneficial it is. A number of variables, including cloud type, temperature, and atmospheric conditions, affect how well cloud seeding works. Moreover, altering weather patterns raises ethical and environmental questions, and research is currently ongoing to determine the long-term impacts of these actions.