I go to Ortura to sow the clouds

2001/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Klima

It seems that from now on, after sowing corn, instead of waiting for dark clouds upwards, we can also sow rain clouds. This is the result of the project that was launched in northern Mexico to combat the four-year drought. But how can you get cloud seeds? Very easy: through rockets, projecting to the clouds a salty smoke of sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium. These particles cause the condensation of the surrounding vapor, which accelerates the formation of heavy drops of water falling in the form of rain.

According to the results obtained by the project team, the precipitation of the sown clouds is greater than that of the natural clouds, the area of precipitation is wider and there is also a greater fall of rain to the ground. However, scientists have not yet discovered how planting occurs within clouds.