2021 Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium

2021 Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium

Wintertime Cloud Seeding : Evaluating the Cloud Seeding “Renaissance” in the Colorado River Basin

Wintertime Cloud Seeding : Evaluating the Cloud Seeding “Renaissance” in the Colorado River Basin

PROJECT NUMBER: 60 | AUTHOR: Abby Bullard​, Civil and Environmental Engineering

MENTOR: Adrianne Kroepsch, Humanities and Social Sciences

ABSTRACT

Cloud seeding is the practice of altering a cloud’s structure in an effort to boost snowfall. It involves adding silver iodide to clouds from the ground or by plane. This has been conducted in Colorado since the 1970s with the goal of boosting Colorado River flows. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the claim that cloud seeding research is experiencing a renaissance in the scientific community by assessing changes of scientific attention to cloud seeding over time. This was accomplished by analyzing publications in major atmospheric science journals over time, media publications in both western and national newspapers, and drought trends in Lee’s Ferry. From this data, a time series was created to compare publication trends to each other along with periods of drought. Our data does not reveal a renaissance in cloud seeding research. If one is underway, it is in an early stage that has not yet translated to publications.

PRESENTATION

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Abby Bullard is currently a junior majoring in Environmental Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. She is currently interested in water resources and hydrology. Her current research is with Dr. Adrianne Kroepsch investigating cloud seeding research trends, along with their impacts. Abby is interested in further research in cloud seeding, and other water resource-related research at Mines.

2 Comments

  1. Great job, Abby! It is interesting to see how cloud seeding media coverage has decreased so much over time, I bet that a lot of people don’t even know that we do it!

    • Thanks, Kim! It was interesting to see the research decline over time, and I hope it will go up in the future!

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