China Announces Expanded Weather Modification (Artificial Rain) Program; Larger Area than India
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:
China has revealed plans over the next five years to expand its experimental weather modification program, to cover an area greater than the size of India with artificial rainfall.
[...] China's State Council says breakthroughs in research and new technologies means the country will have a "developed weather modification system" by 2025.
[...] "China will have a developed weather modification system by 2025, with breakthroughs in fundamental research [and development] in key technologies, steady improvements in modernisation and refined services, distinct enhancement in comprehensive prevention against safety risks," the statement said.
The State Council said weather modification will "intensify" in areas of mitigating drought, hail, fires and high temperatures, while also assisting agricultural production and preserving ecologically protected areas.
[...] Cloud seeding - specifically, glaciogenic cloud seeding - is where tiny drops of super-cooled water that are not growing efficiently enough to become raindrops are converted into ice by adding silver iodide.
This then helps the super-cooled water grow into snowflakes or raindrops ready to fall from the sky. The process only works if conditions are just right.
[...] The $19 million Tianhe Project - which translates into Sky River - is the world's largest artificial rain experiment, which aims to divert excess water vapour above the Yangtze river basin towards drier parts of the country, according to local media.
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