Historic Reclamation Projects: Project Skywater - Rainmaking, Weather Modification, History and Politics, Technology, Testing, and Implementation

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Other Sciences, Meteorology
Cover of the book Historic Reclamation Projects: Project Skywater - Rainmaking, Weather Modification, History and Politics, Technology, Testing, and Implementation by Progressive Management, Progressive Management
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Progressive Management ISBN: 9781311754356
Publisher: Progressive Management Publication: October 11, 2014
Imprint: Smashwords Edition Language: English
Author: Progressive Management
ISBN: 9781311754356
Publisher: Progressive Management
Publication: October 11, 2014
Imprint: Smashwords Edition
Language: English

In 1961 Congress allocated funding for the creation of a weather modification program headed by the Bureau of Reclamation. Project Skywater came fifteen years after Irving Langmuir, Vincent Schaefer, and Bernard Vonnegut of the General Electric Laboratories in Schenectady, New York, successfully demonstrated that "seeding" clouds with nucleating agents like dry ice (carbon dioxide) and silver iodide produced rain. Skywater aimed to demonstrably prove that there was a practical basis for weather modification, as it was popularly called, in terms of cost-benefit and environmental sensibility. Nevertheless, the task was both daunting and singular. The science behind rainmaking was embryonic and not thoroughly tested against the complex variables that govern the weather. Moreover, never before had Reclamation embarked on such a project: a program of taking water management to the skies, of extensive coordination with government and non-government entities typically not involved in surface or ground water issues, of collecting data over a large area, and of understanding a system as large, unwieldy, and unpredictable as the weather.

In 1964 a report of the National Academy of Sciences produced by a panel of experts from the scientific community and government agencies gave a grim diagnosis of the changing of weather. The report critiqued "present efforts which emphasize the a posteriori evaluation of largely uncontrolled experiments," and instead proposed "patient investigation of atmospheric processes coupled with exploration of the technological applications." It predicted that even after a very costly and lengthy period of study and testing, not everything could possibly be known about the atmosphere. The program required "integrated large-scale studies" on the structure and dynamics of convective clouds, the physics of precipitation, the initiation of convection in the boundary layer, the effects of cirrus and dust layers on the radiation balance, the dynamics of severe storms, such as thunder- and hailstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes, and the role of convection therein.

Contents: Project Skywater * The History of Rainmaking * Postwar Science and Legislation * The Politics of Project Skywater * Technology, Testing, and Implementation * Conclusions

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In 1961 Congress allocated funding for the creation of a weather modification program headed by the Bureau of Reclamation. Project Skywater came fifteen years after Irving Langmuir, Vincent Schaefer, and Bernard Vonnegut of the General Electric Laboratories in Schenectady, New York, successfully demonstrated that "seeding" clouds with nucleating agents like dry ice (carbon dioxide) and silver iodide produced rain. Skywater aimed to demonstrably prove that there was a practical basis for weather modification, as it was popularly called, in terms of cost-benefit and environmental sensibility. Nevertheless, the task was both daunting and singular. The science behind rainmaking was embryonic and not thoroughly tested against the complex variables that govern the weather. Moreover, never before had Reclamation embarked on such a project: a program of taking water management to the skies, of extensive coordination with government and non-government entities typically not involved in surface or ground water issues, of collecting data over a large area, and of understanding a system as large, unwieldy, and unpredictable as the weather.

In 1964 a report of the National Academy of Sciences produced by a panel of experts from the scientific community and government agencies gave a grim diagnosis of the changing of weather. The report critiqued "present efforts which emphasize the a posteriori evaluation of largely uncontrolled experiments," and instead proposed "patient investigation of atmospheric processes coupled with exploration of the technological applications." It predicted that even after a very costly and lengthy period of study and testing, not everything could possibly be known about the atmosphere. The program required "integrated large-scale studies" on the structure and dynamics of convective clouds, the physics of precipitation, the initiation of convection in the boundary layer, the effects of cirrus and dust layers on the radiation balance, the dynamics of severe storms, such as thunder- and hailstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes, and the role of convection therein.

Contents: Project Skywater * The History of Rainmaking * Postwar Science and Legislation * The Politics of Project Skywater * Technology, Testing, and Implementation * Conclusions

More books from Progressive Management

Cover of the book Short of War: Major USAF Contingency Operations 1947-1997 - Berlin Airlift, Lebanon, Cuban Missile Crisis, Israel Airlift, Vietnam Evacuation, Iranian Hostages, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Bosnia, Haiti by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in Perspective - Orientation Guide and French Cultural Orientation: Colonial, Ethnic Fracture, Yamoussoukro, Abidjan - Geography, History, Military, Religion, Traditions by Progressive Management
Cover of the book On the Fly: Israeli Airpower against the Al-Aqsa Intifada, 2000-2005 - Israeli Air Force (IAF) and IDF, COIN, Counterinsurgency, Hunting Militants Hiding in Rabbit Warrens of Palestinian Camps by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Sowing the Seeds of Soft Power: The United States and India in the Next Great Game - Eurasia, Indian Domestic Values and Culture, Hollywood to Bollywood, Fight Against Terrorism, Nuclear Weapons by Progressive Management
Cover of the book The 31 Initiatives: A Study in Air Force - Army Cooperation - Air Defense, Rear Area Operations, Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, Special Forces, Joint Munitions Development, Combat Techniques by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Army Cyber Mission Force: Ambitions and Realities: Recruiting, Retaining, and Organizing Personnel, Getting the Best and the Brightest, Need to Depart from Standard Army Personnel Practices by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Gangs and Crime in America: Transnational Threats from the Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 and 18th Street Gangs, Origins, Relationship to Street Gangs, Federal Response, El Salvador Initiative, RICO Act by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Understanding Social Media and Mass Mobilization in the Operational Environment: Relevance of Twitter and Facebook Trends in Army’s Future Operating Environment, Battleswarm and Future Warfare by Progressive Management
Cover of the book The DSCA Corps: Bridging the Gap Between the Profession of Arms and Domestic Operations - Defense Support to Civil Authorities Case Study of Hurricane Sandy and Cascadia Rising Earthquake Exercise by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Wings in Orbit: Scientific and Engineering Legacies of the Space Shuttle - Select Astronaut Observations and Highlights of Shuttle Program Payloads and Experiments Supplement (NASA TM-2011-216150) by Progressive Management
Cover of the book The Army Ethic: Military Professionalism and the Moral Principles of the Constitution, Comparative Ethical Codes and Juridification, Ability to Influence Behavior, and Officer Perception Survey by Progressive Management
Cover of the book 21st Century Pocket Guide to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut: Programs, Courses, History, Cadet Life by Progressive Management
Cover of the book Ready Seapower: A History of the U.S. Seventh Fleet - MacArthur's Navy, Korean War, Arabian Gulf to Mount Pinatubo, Terrorists and Pirates by Progressive Management
Cover of the book The Impact of Science on Society: Accomplishments of Science by the Year 2000, Our Future in the Cosmos - Computers and Space, The Legacy of Science, Fascinating Philosophical Concepts, Robotics by Progressive Management
Cover of the book USAF Medical Support for Special Operations Forces Tactical Doctrine: Air Force Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures 3-42.6 - SOF Operational Medical, Logistics, War Reserve Material, Training by Progressive Management
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy