Levels of air pollution, water stress, and weather conditions have again brought the topic of artificial rain into the limelight. Be it the smog-filled metropolitan area or the drought-infested rural part of the country, artificial rain, also known as cloud seeding, is being considered as the means through which the process of natural rain can be supplemented to smoothen the environment. Artificial rain is not a replacement for natural weather but can be considered in pollution management, agricultural, and water sectors if done in the right manner.
Artificial Rain is the Term Used for Man-Made Rain
Artificial rain is a process that creates Raindrops from existing clouds (i.e., rain is produced by an existing cloud). In contrast to natural rainfall, which depends entirely on the atmosphere to be produced, Artificial Rain speeds up the processes used by clouds constructing their own rain (creating rain). Artificial Rain does not create or have control over the clouds (i.e., clouds must be present) and also works when there is little or no water vapor present in any of the existing clouds to create Raindrops.
Artificial Rain relies on the principles of condensation and Ice Formation to help the ice particles that are created with rainfall. Artificial Rain is used in various regions around the world where there is either drought, Air Pollution, or Dryness.
Artificial Rain Importance
The variable climate has also caused the rainfall to be more unpredictable than before. Late monsoons, dry seasons, and severe cases of air pollution point to the necessity of additional measures. In metropolitan areas, the feasibility of inducing rain aims to decrease airborne pollutants, dust, and haze in the atmosphere. In rural regions, it is used as a means for supporting agriculture as well as reserving water reservoirs when the situation calls for it.
Artificial rain by itself is not an option, but it can be used in conjunction with other methods of water conservation and emission reduction to aid in the management of the environment.
Working of Artificial Rain: Step-by-Step Process
Artificial rain making involves a scientific, sequential method called cloud seeding. Each step needs to be executed for the process to be successful.
Cloud Identification and Selection
The meteorologists begin by identifying those clouds with sufficient water content to undergo seeding. Not all clouds are suitable for this process. Water droplet cloud or supercooled cloud conditions are fundamental in identifying the timeliness and suitability of the prevailing weather conditions.
Cloud Seeding
Once the appropriate clouds have been pinpointed, cloud seeding materials are released through aircraft, UAVs, rockets, or cloud seeding generators. Cloud seeding materials work as a nucleator in which water forms or freezes.
Formation and Growth of Droplets
As a result of these foreign particles, clouds are able to collect. As the droplets grow in size and become heavier due to gravity, this causes them to fall to earth as precipitation, the completion of the precipitation cycle and an increase to an existing natural cycle of basic precipitation.
Precip
Once the droplets accumulate enough size, they start falling on the surface as rain. This ends the precipitation process.
Chemicals used in Artificial Rain
The most frequently employed chemical in artificial rain is silver iodide. The crystal form of silver iodide bears close resemblance to that of ice. It is therefore most useful in icing conditions. It enhances the nucleation of ice, resulting in droplet coagulation and eventual precipitation.
Here is a listed view of other compounds that are used for other decarbonizations.
- Sodium Chloride (Table Salt) is sometimes used for Warm Cloud Seeding Most of the time.
- Potassium Iodide is used for creating artificial rain.
- Dry Ice is commonly used for Quick Cooling of Clouds and Rapidly Cooling Clouds.
All of these chemicals are used in relatively small amounts and the amount used is tightly controlled due to the potential negative impacts on the environment.
Artificial Rain Applications for Reducing AQI Levels
Artificial rain has been identified as a short-term solution for decreasing extremely high levels of Air Quality Index in urban and industrial areas. Air pollution becomes dangerous or hazardous when fine pollutants, PM2.5, and PM10 remain suspended in the atmosphere due to their size, leading to serious health issues in humans. Artificial rain works towards increasing the removal rate of these pollutants from the atmosphere through a mechanism called atmospheric cleansing or rain in meteorology or atmospheric science.
The first mechanism acts to wash the pollution from the atmosphere. When the rainfall occurs in the artificial rain process, Rainwater captures dust particles, smoke, soot, and chemicals suspended in the air. These components would have been suspended in the atmosphere as pollution but are now brought to the surface as rainwater falls to the ground. This process causes a moderated decline in the AQI value following the rain.
In AQI management, the concentration of pollution, wind speed, humidity, and availability of moisture-rich clouds are observed. Artificial rain becomes an option when moisture-rich clouds are available and the concentration of pollution reaches critical levels. Weather forecasting systems are used to decide when to make artificial rain to achieve optimal results without wasting resources.
The cloud-seeding process in pollution control normally involves the use of aircraft or ground-based generators to seed the selected cloud with materials such as silver iodide or salt particles. After the onset of rainfall, the effect of the rainfall cuts the suspension of dust particles in the air, removes the smog layers, and brings about increased clearance of the skyline. The process can be effective in areas undergoing construction and vehicle pollution.
Artificial rain is especially useful in the winter season since temperature inversion causes pollution to settle on the ground. Additionally, it can be applied during massive gatherings in case the air needs to be purified immediately.
Nonetheless, artificial rain in the reduction of AQI has limitations in that it is not a long-lasting method, as it has temporary effects which rely on favorable meteorological elements. If the emission sites, traffic, or construction, which were responsible for pollution, go uncontrolled, the AQI might elevate in a few days. In this regard, controlling emissions, traffic, dust, or advising the public remains the best method in conjunction with artificial rain. When practiced properly, artificial rain can be used as an emergency response measure to suppress peaks of pollution, maintain public health, and offer temporary relief to the environment while proper strategies for the control of pollution are employed in the long term.
Latest Initiation Artificial Rain to Reduce AQI
As a result of escalating levels of air pollution and deteriorating air quality (AQI) in the County, the County Group has initiated a special pollution control program at its residential development, County 107. The program consists of creating “rain” using a water sprayer across the entire development area in order to help eliminate the dust particles which have been creating such a poor air quality in the surrounding areas.
According to County Group management, whenever there is an AQI in the “severe” category, the water spraying program will be initiated. During the recent spraying event at County 107, the time frame in which airborne dust particles were visibly reduced was extremely short, giving residents of County 107 very much cleaner air conditions.
Regarding the program, Amit Modi, Director of the County Group stated, that he health and wellness of our residents at County 107 is our primary focus. Given the increasing pollution levels, we believe that an artificial rain program will be the most effective way to eliminate dust from the air. We will continue to implement this program as an ongoing effort whenever the AQI reaches the severe level to provide our residents with an adequate environmental atmosphere that is clean, safe, and healthy.
According to County Group, this shall not be a temporary arrangement but shall continue as the levels of AQI increase, posing a serious health threat to the residents in the county, which forms part of their pledge to ensure all residents have a clean environment with improved air quality, which they breathe by decreasing any hazardous pollutants in the air. Furthermore, residents living near areas where the spraying has taken place have observed that the roads, open space, and tree environment are now clean as a result of the spraying activities, with enhanced air that can be respirated compared to prior to the undertaking of the spraying activities.
Looking Ahead
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