In our Top Picks this week, there is a story entitled Weather Engineering in China by Technology Review. While a number of people have hinted that “weather modification” may be real, this is the first open admission I have seen.

In the context of Technology Review’s article, weather manipulation will benefit spectators at this summer’s Olympic games in China. But, what if the magician behind the curtain—whoever that may be—decides to alter weather patterns for less benign reasons?

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  1. Cloud seeding has been around since 1946 — and has been tried with varying degree of success see the wiki on cloud seeding.

    Quote:
    While cloud seeding has shown to be effective in altering cloud structure and size, and converting cloud water to ice particles, it is more controversial whether cloud seeding increases the amount of precipitation at the ground. Part of the problem is that it is difficult to discern how much precipitation would have occurred had the cloud not been “seeded.” In other words, it is hard to discern additional precipitation from seeding from the natural precipitation variability, which is frequently much greater in magnitude. Nevertheless, there is more credible scientific evidence for the effectiveness of winter cloud seeding over mountains (to produce snow) than there is for seeding warm-season cumuli form (convective) clouds. This statement is supported by the professional societies Weather Modification Association, World Meteorological Organization, and American Meteorological Society (AMS). The AMS further states that there is statistical evidence for seasonal precipitation increases of about 10% with winter seeding.

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