AN AUSTRALIAN AVIATION company says it has received more than 100 threats following an online conspiracy theory that its pilots unleashed a flooding disaster by cloud seeding. Cloud seeding programs in the upper Colorado River Basin, for instance, cost around $1.5 million each year. Conventional water resources such as rivers, lakes, and groundwater have become very limited, which is driving scientists and engineers to look for alternative water resources. This material can initiate ice nucleation followed by rapid growth starting from a temperature of minus 80 degrees. Personalise your weather experience and unlock powerful new features. Tuesday, March 7 (First round) Game 1: (12) Virginia Tech vs. (13) Georgia Tech | 2 p.m. | ACC Network . Australia floods: Nearly a metre of rain in just four days. What are conventional cloud seeding materials, and then how does nanotechnology come into play? The report did not find evidence to prove that the cloud seeding flight contributed to the flood. In a 2016 news report from the Australian TV network 7News, the broadcasters discuss Tasmanians' worries that cloud seeding might have contributed to the state's worst floods in forty years. The colors depict the wetness percentile; that is, how the levels of groundwater compare to long-term records (1948-2012). The first cloud seeding trials were carried out by Kraus and Squires (1947) near Sydney. The first trials were carried out near Sydney by Kraus and Squires in 1947. However, experts told AFP the floods were naturally occurring and cloud seeding cannot cause flooding. It involves manipulating existing clouds to try and help them produce more rain or snow. NearMap confirmed to AFP the photos taken by Handel Aviation were commissioned to map disaster-affected areas for insurers and emergency services. However, some research has raised doubts about its longterm effects on the environment. To achieve this, we use the nanotechnology to deposit titanium dioxide nanoparticles as a shell layer and sodium chloride crystal core. Somerset Dam, that can feed Wivenhoe, also starts to rapidly fill, going from 80% to 148% in one day. "We don't have a co-ordinated effort to change the weather, because it's just physically and financially unfeasible," says Dr Gilbert, who adds that even if cloud seeding played a role, it would have "an absolutely minuscule effect.". Atmospheric water is one such alternative resource. The increased snowfall can also benefit ski resorts within the cloud seeding areas. Social media users are sharing a news clip from 2016 about cloud seeding the day before a severe flood in Southern Tasmania. Some of those he contacted were surprised or angry, Berko said. They remain as vapors in the air and move higher and further. She added at $28-$34 per acre foot, cloud seeding is relatively cheap. "Cloud seeding is a . The flight lasted an hour and 34 minutes over the Upper Derwent catchment, targeting Lake Echo. Seeding clouds as a way to change weather began its history as a serious science during WWII, originally as a way to interrupt severe storms or to produce rain and snow. The most common particulate used in cloud seeding is silver iodide, which has a similar structure to ice crystals and helps supercooled liquid water droplets cluster together. For more information about us and the show, please check out our website at technologyreview.com. While scientists have blamed the. CORRECTION: We have added an additional source relating to cloud seeding that debates its harmless nature. Today, that endeavor is making incredible leaps and bounds as scientists and engineers apply nanotechnology to improve the effectiveness of cloud seeding. Cloud seeding is still practiced in the Snowy Mountains in NSW today, carried out by Snowy Hydro Limited. The small one could be 20 meters and the large one could be like a building. . In Gympie, the towns central business district is inundated. There was a high degree of luck in terms of where we started from [with Wivenhoe Dam], he says, adding that the climate crisis will only raise the risk of future events. According to Domensino, some 611.6mm of rain fell on the city between 9am Friday and 6pm Sunday the highest three-day total in records dating back to 1840. Water vapor in the atmosphere can then adhere to the particles, and condense into raindrops or snowflakes. Iran has already accused Israel of stealing its water by using cloud-seeding that reduces rainfall over its territory. Although cloud seeding has been around since the 1940s, climate change and population growth are driving scientists to take a closer look at the technology, which could offer a viable cost-effective supplement to existing water supplies, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, like the United Arab Emirates. All Rights Reserved. The extra water produced from cloud seeding can sit in water storages for multiple years. , first developed in the 1940s, involves spraying fine particles of silver iodide and dry ice into a cloud system. This cloud seeding area spans over the high elevation areas of the Snowy Mountains within the Snowy Hydro water catchment area, covering approximately 2110 square kilometres. 2022 AFP. In Australia, a La Nia increases the likelihood of rain, cyclones, and cooler daytime temperatures. For general feedback and enquiries, please contact us through our Help Desk. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has expressed her concern over the impact of the floods as the state is inundated by rain. Could this all just be a . Laurel: Back to your technology, you filed a patent on the cloud seeding material itself. To help advance the science, in 2015 the UAE government launched a new initiative, the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science. In Australia, water can be a scarce commodity, with variousareas of the country suffering through prolonged droughts at times. Electric vehicles have been available for decades. Cloud seeding has strict requirements. The pilot's aviation company said it was conducting aerial surveys for a . At the moment, all possible solutions that could resolve the water shortage issue should be examined carefully. We only operate aircraft fitted with cameras for aerial photography survey purposes and we are not sure where this misinformation has started, Handel Aviation posted on its website, adding, our recent flights over flooded areas of NSW and QLD are in response to the floods. Dr. Zou: It is a challenge area and I have collaborated with the Cloud Microphysics Modeling International team. The floods have once again turned deadly, with the body of a man swept away by floodwaters in Queensland found by police this morning, bringing the state's death toll to 19 since January. According to some laboratory studies, a high concentration of AgI can affect smaller organisms like algae and bacteria when applied consistently over a long period of time. Handel Aviation posted a statement in response calling the claims misinformation and denying that it conducts cloud seeding flights, stating that it only operates an aerial photography aircraft. The claims circulating online led to more than 100 threats being sent to Handel Aviation, despite it explaining the purpose of the flights on the contact page of the company's website. In my project, we have changed the surface of the material to make it more reactive so it can work at a lower and wider relative humidity to make it more likely to happen. Messaging from rooftops: Lismores flooded residents document a disaster, Eastern Australian states hit by major flooding after rain bomb weather event, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Eastern Australia reeling from NSW and Queensland 2022 floods as downpour moves south video report, NSWdeath toll rises to five; more high impact storms forecast for Queensland as it happened, Australia east coast floods: how to help those affected in NSW and Queensland, There is no comprehending the sound and fury of the flooding that pulverised Brisbane, A jetski turned up with Mick Fanning on it: world champion surfer ferries locals through NSW floods, Ballina flood: thousands of homes impacted with peak to continue for a number of hours, Sydney on high alert for flash flooding over next 24 hours as heavy rain lashes city, Floods and livestock losses leave NSW and Queensland farmers reeling from third disaster in three years, Flood of help: how the NSW and Queensland disaster has brought neighbours closer together, Disaster agency defends not listing Lismore as flooding priority area for funding, NSW and Qld floods live updates latest eastern Australia flood news, Ballina: emergency orders issued for NSW coastal town as waters rise, Lismore man saves 16 people and five dogs after losing his own home, Flash flood warning for parts of Sydney and nearby districts, evacuation orders are issued for South Ballina. As well as the rising river levels, the amount of rain falling locally causes flash floods all across the city and its outer suburbs as creeks swell, inundating areas that escaped the 2011 floods. Silver iodide is an ice-forming agent, which causes supercooled water droplets to freeze in the clouds. "These aerial captures are commissioned after major weather catastrophes and natural disasters, including following the recent east coast flooding," the NearMap spokesman said. There is no single cause for the intense rainfall Sydney has experienced in the last few days. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Social media users are also sharing a separate example to baselessly claim that cloud seeding played a role in flooding that happened throughout February and March in Queensland and New South Wales, leading to more than a dozen deaths. Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) February 26, 2022 About 18,000 homes in Brisbane and surrounding areas have been flooded and more than 50,000 are without power. Brisbane has two features that make it susceptible to flooding. On the other hand, cloud seeding practice is to release artificial seeding materials as nuclei to initiate the water vapor in the cloud to condense into droplets and promote the formation of large droplets until they grow big enough to fall as rain. Cloud seeding is a real thing. They are made of many super cooled water vapors, so although they are below zero, they remain as vapor. There are up to 15,000 homes flooded in the city, with 1,544 people in evacuation centres in the south-east. And why has Queenslands capital flooded again just 11 years after the devastation of 2011? The map above depicts shallow groundwater storage in Australia from November 11-14, 2022, as measured by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) satellites. Recent social media posts claim that the 2022 floods in Australia were caused or exacerbated due to cloud seeding. Bartolo was handcuffed on his lounge room floor in a struggle seconds after the police broke inside. If we had started where we started from in 2011 we would be in serious trouble.. Pictured: Homes inundated by floodwater in Lismore, NSW, James Bartolo (pictured) is a former bodybuilder who promotes a range of bizarre conspiracies. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC News) quoted the Department of Premier and Cabinet's report on the flood in 2018. Through the advancement in nanotechnology and nanoscience, nowadays we are working to design and engineer cloud-seeding materials with optimal properties to ensure water vapor condensation will occur effectively and maximize the rainfall achieved, explains Dr. Zou. If you enjoyed this episode, we hope you'll take a moment to rate and review us. APS ASSESSMENT: False. Hydro Tasmania, a hydroelectric corporation, published their analysis after the flood to say that a cloud seeding flight was undertaken on June 5, 2016, which had no measurable impact on rainfall. Handel Aviation operator Mark Handel told AFP on Thursday that the company does not seed clouds. That hasn't stopped some TikTok users from denouncing "weather engineering". Social media users are also sharing a separate example to baselessly claim that cloud seeding played a role in. Wivenhoe Dam Brisbanes main source of water and also a key piece of infrastructure to stop the city flooding starts rising rapidly from 58% capacity. But Khan says the Brisbane flooding could easily have been much worse. As floods devastated Australia's east coast, social media posts accused a pilot of causing the disaster through cloud seeding, a weather modification technique that involves dropping a rain-inducing chemical into clouds. In their place, colder waters come up to the surface. A planned factory marks a major milestone in the US for new batteries that enable lower-cost, longer-lasting EVs. Cloud seeding is used in parts of Australia to enhance rain, snowfall and water security. Business Lab is a production of MIT Technology Review. An amusement ride is seen inundated by floodwaters in Sydney, TikTok videos like this one have been watched thousands of times, This 2016 news report has been widely shared on all major social media platforms, UAE to test cloud-busting drones to boost rainfall, How climate is making Australia more unliveable, Devastating floods spur new warning systems, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Explosive found in check-in luggage at US airport, Whiskey fungus forces Jack Daniels to stop construction, Tulsa massacre survivors granted Ghana citizenship, Messages reveal battle over Covid school policy, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Covid messages leak a massive betrayal - Hancock, Aboriginal spears taken in 1770 to return to Sydney. For cloud seeding to produce rain you need moisture to begin with. Laurel: Dr. Zou, thank you so much for being with us here on the Business Lab. The more people who know about this bulls**t the better.'. "A pilot from Handel Aviation in Cessna 210N Centurion VH-JIL did a breakfast time cloud seeding run over Lismore South & Ballina today while sightseeing the massive flood below him," one widely shared post reads. Ouse in the Derwent River catchment was one of the hardest hit areas in this week's floods. The 2022 eastern Australia floods were one of the nation's worst recorded flood disasters with a series of floods that occurred from February to April in South East Queensland, the Wide Bay-Burnett and parts of coastal New South Wales. Dr. Zou: Yes, you are right. It was a wall of water. EPA. Scientists blame intense rainfall on a . These particles act as additional condensation nuclei. As a result, flooding this time has been much more extensive from small creeks and large rivers, he says. Read about our approach to external linking. If experts complete seeding at the right time, it leads to more moisture supply, which will eventually create rainwater. April 8, 2022 / 6:52 AM / AFP . upcoming events, and more. >$379 million (2022 USD) [1] Heavy flooding broke out in the Central Coast and Sydney areas of New South Wales, Australia, beginning in early July 2022. Cloud seeding experiments began in Australia in 1947, shortly after the classic experiments of Schaefer (1946) in America showing that pellets of dry ice could rapidly glaciate a laboratory cloud. Conspiracy theorists have claimedthe floods devastating Australia's east coast are part of a 'government weather warfare attack'. This podcast episode was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. Torrential rain hovers over the Brisbane region, feeding Wivenhoe Dam but also filling major rivers like the Bremer that winds through Ipswich and the Lockyer Creek. So, what is cloud seeding, how does it work and where is it used in Australia? A really strong storm, she explained, will already have a very strong updraft and windflow characteristics that help create the cloud to begin with. We dont have that technology, she said. It never developed in . Read about our approach to external linking. Towards New Zealand, Domensino says, an area of high pressure known as a blocking high stops the system from moving away into the Tasman Sea. 'I've been in Wagga Wagga for the last four days and the amount of chemtrails in the sky above the Riverina region is beyond comprehension,' the person commented. An amusement ride is seen inundated by floodwaters in Sydney. Cloud seeding trials continued through the late 1950s and early 1960s by the CSIRO in the Snowy Mountains, in the New England district of NSW, the Warragamba catchment near Sydney and in the York Peninsula in SA. That's it for this episode of Business Lab. Cloud seeding involves adding small particles into existing clouds to help them grow. Compared with the floods of 2011, Khan says this is about 50% more water into the dam in about half of the time. Resources: https: . Through the advancement in nanotechnology and nanoscience, nowadays we are working to design and engineer cloud seeding materials with optimal properties to ensure water vapor condensation will occur effectively and maximize the rainfall achieved. A really strong storm, she explained, will already have a very strong updraft and windflow characteristics that help create the cloud to begin with. As you know, cold clouds with sub-zero temperatures are also present in the atmosphere. Were not altering the updraft of the clouds. Another weapon used to flood everyone,' a third wrote. A rain-enhancing process known as cloud seeding caused historic flooding in Tasmania, Australia, in 2016 and along Australias southeastern coast this year. Fast forward to 2022 as Las Vegas, Nevada and the UAE are dealing with severe flooding which happened after acknowledged cloud seeding operations. Why doesn't Australia use the cloud seeding method? In the 2016 clip from the Australian TV network 7News, a journalist says, Residents in southern Tasmania are demanding to know why cloud seeding was conducted over the Derwent River catchment the day before the worst floods in 40 years., One social media user shared the old clip Tuesday with the caption, Remember when this was a CONSPIRACY NOW - CLOUD SEEDING IS NOW OPENLY REPORTED - MAKING FLOODING WORSE - investigations are now being conducted as to WHY this was done!. Pilots get "really violent" threats after online rumors wrongly pin devastating floods on cloud seeding. Water vapour gathers around the particles and eventually falls as precipitation. Australian National Review is Australia's first real free and independent press, one with no editorial control by the elite, but a publication that can generate critical thinkers and critical debate and hold those . This means cloud seeding operations happen only during suitable cold weather systems, generally cold fronts between May and October. The key factors of a successful cloud seeding operation include, first, identifying the suitable cloud for seeding. It can enhance precipitation in areas experiencing drought, among other uses. out 'cloud seeding' - a weather . Laurel: Could you describe that weather chamber that you used in your experiments? Conspiracy theorists spread the false claims after weeks of torrential rains led to deadly east coast floods over the past two months, engulfing homes and sweeping cars from the roads. This nanoengineered shell core structured material can be activated at much broader relative humidity conditions such as about 65%. The image below shows how silver iodide can be used to create snow on the leeside of a mountain range. My guest today is Dr. Linda Zou, who is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Khalifa University of Science and Technology. China is developing a weather-modification system that aims to divert water vapour thousands of miles through the sky and bring rainfall to the country's driest regions. He was charged with incitement for allegedly encouraging his social media followers to attend an illegal rally. "Handel Aviation operates aerial photography aircraft only. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. Artist depiction of cloud seeding drones. The silver iodide causes water droplets in the clouds to form ice crystals that become heavier and fall faster, releasing precipitation. It's obvious when viewed on the radar.'. "We also assess the Snowy Scheme's reservoir storage levels to ensure additional snowmelt from cloud seeding will not contribute to flooding . We can do a spectrum analysis and to find out their vapor condensation, the droplet formation, and the size and the number of the droplets. Dr. Zou: Yes. Unattached supercooled water vapour molecules in the clouds condense around these particles. A flooded road is seen in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, following heavy rains on March 2, 2022. These small droplets and crystals usually form around even smaller particles of dust, salt and other aerosols floating in the atmosphere, which are called cloud condensation nuclei. Immediately after the seeding is released, the electronic equipment, which are electronic optical cameras, will quickly take many, many photos to record the image while the seeding material's falling. Dr. Zou leads a groundbreaking research project using nanotechnology to develop cloud-seeding materials. Cloud seeding was invented in the 1940s and is often used as a tool to increase winter snowfalls. Hydro Tasmania also denied that its flights were to blame and said in a statement that an analysis shows the operation had no measurable impact on rainfall on that day.. Most commonly used to increase precipitation as a drought management technique, cloud . In partnership withUAE Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai. What could be the reason behind mass flooding down the east coast of Australia? So far, there are no reports of cloud seeding or floods in Tasmania in 2022. It has been used in Australia intermittently since 1947. There is devastation in northern NSW as Wilsons River rises two metres above previous flood records, inundating the town of Lismore. Handel said he tasked his operations manager, Anthony Berko, with responding to each email and calling people who provided their phone numbers. She was awarded a grant by the UAE Research Program on rain enhancement science from 2016 to 2019. Flashes into the high RF appear on RADAR sometimes in the same geometric modulation patterns spoken about in HAARP research papers they appear coordinated with other stations, and not all stations in the same area produce the flash. Our topic today is cloud seeding to increase rainfall. But a probe by the Tasmanian government found that cloud seeding did not contribute to or worsen the heavy rains - a conclusion since backed by independent scientists and experts. Recent research suggests that the decades-old approach can be effective, though questions remain about how much water it can wring from the sky. This episode was produced by Collective Next. To "seed" cloud formation, a small aircraft releases a cloud of particulate matter. Cloud seeding experiments began in Australia during 1947 after American scientists made the discovery in 1946. Through a reverse image search, we found that 7News Melbourne posted the original broadcast on their Facebook page on June 10, 2016, with the caption: "Residents in southern Tasmania want to know why cloud seeding was conducted the day before severe flooding hit the region." Figure 1: The area which is primarily targeted for increased precipitation from cloud seeding operations is shown in red (approximately 2110 km). Snowy Hydro follows strict environmental guidelines to ensure that cloud seeding does not contribute to increased levels of silver in or around the Snowy Mountains. In the midst of an historic megadrought, states in the American West are embracing cloud seeding to increase snow and rainfall. The aerial images were commissioned after the flooding and were used to document the impact of the disaster on property and infrastructure, for government agencies, emergency services, insurance groups and others, according to the statement. What kind of effect can cloud seeding potentially have on a country, like the UAE, which typically only records four inches of rain in a year? An independent investigation sought by Tasmania's parliament into the causes of the 2016 flooding found that cloud seeding, a process aimed at increasing precipitation, had no impact on the severe weather. Cloud-seeding is a weather-modification practice used to artificially create or promote additional rain/snow from existing clouds. A conspiracy theorist claims destructive rain and flooding in south-eastern Queensland and northern NSW are the result of man-made weather manipulation from "cloud seeding".. Domensino says while several features in the atmosphere combined to deliver the rain, climate change likely made the event worse. Conspiracy theorists . In the 1950s, another scientist named Bernard Vonnegut proposed his cloud seeding idea in which he noted that clouds need other particles like bacteria or algae to produce precipitation. The information and techniques are out of date and their effectiveness is not well understood.. There's no evidence to suggest it played a role in the 2022 floods in southeastern Australia, either. Snowy Hydro also has other criteria for cloud seeding which includes; In addition to these atmospheric conditions, Snowy Hydro also takes into account the amount of water already in the landscape. Mr Bartolo moved to the Gold Coast in November 2020 after he was charged with incitement for organising illegal protests during Melbourne's lockdown. Cloud seeding got its start in 1947, with General Electric scientists working under a military contract to find a way to de-ice planes in cold weather and create fog to obscure troop movements. You took this on as part of your research. 1. In the open environment, it's more challenging. Cloud seeding: Making rain in desert. To be successful, scientists need the right air temperature, the right humidity, a surface that attracts water and keeps it, and then the correct size material to allow condensation to form on the particle. These fall to the ground as snow or raindrops, depending on the surface temperatures. This is part of APs effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. The first three months of 2022 brought a year's worth of rain to Sydney. NSW's Snowy Mountains region. History of cloud seeding in Australia 7.5 Americans made the discovery in 1946 that pellets of dry ice could induce precipitation from clouds. This data describing my new seeding materials property and their interactions in atmosphere. Pictured: Local residents wade through floodwater in Lismore, NSW. About this record. Multiple posts on Facebook - as seen here, here and here - attempt to link Australia's floods with cloud seeding and possible government manipulation of the weather. Dr. Zou leads a groundbreaking research project using nanotechnology to develop cloud seeding materials. They've basically lost everything and then someone has then said here's your answer," Berko said. Nearmap, which analyzes and distributes the companys photos, confirmed in a statement to the AP that the claims associating Handels recent flight with cloud seeding are false. A spokesman for the state's water authority says the dam doesn't have a flood mitigation component, so no water was released ahead of the downpour, which came when the state's dam network . . The Bureau of Meteorology warns that an area of low pressure over the south coast of Queensland is dragging in moisture from the Coral Sea to the north and then lifting it over the coastline. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. We were founded in 1899 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and you can find us in print on the web and at events each year around the world. Source: Snowy Hydro. This process is known as glaciogenic cloud seeding. Today, together with the National Center of Meteorology of the UAE, we can see the application of these new seeding materials in real operations very quickly across UAE to increase the rainfall. A device at the top of the chamber releases the seeding materials. It was not written by MIT Technology Reviews editorial staff. There is already local flooding from the intense and incessant rain that is interspersed with violent thunderstorms. The flight was collecting images for aerial maps provided to Australian mapping company NearMap, he said. There is no evidence to back up such theories, but this hasn't prevented falsehoods from reaching thousands of people online. Another added: 'Absolutely nothing natural about the rainfall in the past 5 months. So they form super cool vapor and crystallize into ice particles. Australia's 2022 floods have seen Brisbane's Southbank hit by a 'rain bomb'. 7.4 Cloud seeding from a plane uses silver iodide burners, dry ice pellets or hygroscopic flares. 'Surprisingly, they have talked about cloud seeding and weather manipulation on the mainstream media so it's coming from multiple sources now.
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