Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment
Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment
Question: Currently, artificial rain making techniques associated with cloud seeding cannot be used for bringing rain clouds to rainfall deficit/drought areas. Provide the overview of the CAPIEEX or Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment in this context.
- The Earth System Science Organisation-Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology is making an effort to comprehend ran formation in clouds through CAIPEEX
- CAIPEEX involves study of cloud microphysical characteristics through the research programme
- CAIPEEX has contributed to close to 800 hours of intense observations concerning instrumented aircraft, radars and other surface based instruments
- These scientific observations have yielded deeper understanding of characteristics of monsoon clouds and interaction effects between cloud and aerosols
- Key role of dust aerosol(pollutant) on cloud and rain processes over the Indian monsoon region was also discovered through CAIPEEX
- These observations are also being used for improving the representation and characterisation of clouds in weather and climate models
- 23 randomised seeding experiments have been carried out through flares and fine grained salt powder following WMO recommendations
Facts and Stats
The objectives of the CAIPEEX are as follows
- To understand the role of aerosols in the rainfall processes in the clouds
- To carry out cloud seeding experiments in research mode for rain enhancements using modern, advanced techniques.
Modern techniques used in CAIPEEX include the following :
- Hired instrumented aircraft for measuring the atmospheric state parameters, aerosols and cloud microphysical parameters equipped for seeding by flares and salt powder,
- Radar for monitoring the potential clouds,
- Pilot to ground connectivity and internet connectivity for real time transfer of data,
- Half hourly INSAT satellite data, weather data from IMD sites
- High resolution weather models for the forecasting etc., were used in the program.
