Critical Issues in Weather Modification Research

Examines the status of the science underlying weather modification in the United States. This study calls for a coordinated national research program to answer fundamental questions about basic atmospheric processes, and to address other issues that are impeding progress in weather modification.

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The weather on planet Earth is a vital and sometimes fatal force in human affairs.
Efforts to control or reduce the harmful impacts of weather go back far in time. In
this, the latest National Academies' assessment of weather modification, the committee
was asked to assess the ability of current and proposed weather modification
capabilities to provide beneficial impacts on water resource management and
weather hazard mitigation. It examines new technologies, reviews advances in
numerical modeling on the cloud and mesoscale, and considers how improvements
in computer capabilities might be applied to weather modification. Critical Issues in
Weather Modification Research examines the status of the science underlying weather
modification in the United States. It calls for a coordinated national research program
to answer fundamental questions about basic atmospheric processes and to
address other issues that are impeding progress in weather modification.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Executive Summary
1 Introduction
2 Current Status of Weather Modification Operations and Research
3 Evaluation Requirements for Weather Modification
4 Tools and Techniques for Advancing Our Understanding
5 Conclusions and Recommendations
References
Appendix A: Glaciogenic and Hygroscopic Seeding: Previous Research and Current Status
Appendix B: Modern Statistical Methods and Weather Modification Research
Appendix C: Glossary
Appendix D: Acronyms
Appendix E: Community Participation
Appendix F: Committee Member Biographies
Plates 1-8