Acidic Cloud Episodes in the Northern Colorado Rockies: Inadvertent Weather Modification?

Authors

  • Edward E Hindman Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department The City College of New York New York, NY
  • Maria C Meyer Geography Department Hunter College New York City, NY
  • Stanley D Gedzelman Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department The City College of New York New York City, New York
  • Teresa J Bandosz Chemistry Department The City College of New York New York City, NY

Abstract

Acidic cloud episodes were detected in January 1998 and January 2000 at Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) in the northern Colorado Rockies. The episodes were characterized by increased concentrations of small droplets and condensation nucleus concentrations and reduced liquid water contents, snowfall rates and sub-cloud relative humidities. The trajectories of the air parcels arriving at SPL before, during and after the episodes were studied. The parcels arriving during the episodes encountered the least precipitation during their journey to SPL, suggesting little cloud and precipitation scavenging of aerosol particles. Further, much of the difference in acidity can be explained by dilution of the cloud droplets. Thus, the episodes may be primarily a natural phenomenon.

Downloads

Published

2018-01-26

Issue

Vol. 34 No. 1 (2002)

Section

Scientific Papers

License

Authors that submit papers for publication agree to the Journal’s copyright and publication terms. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the manuscript’s authorship and initial publication in Journal of Weather Modification. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in the Journal of Weather Modification. Authors are permitted to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process to encourage productive exchanges and greater citation of the published article.
 
Articles are published online using restricted access for the first year. After the first year, articles are made freely available online. Immediate open access for an article may be obtained by the author paying an open access fee which is in addition to the normal page changes. Authors are expected to honor a page charge in order to support publication and distribution of the journal. After the author approves the gallery formatted version for publication, the Weather Modification Association’s Secretary will invoice the corresponding author for the page charges and payment is due within 30 days.