National Centre Of Meteorology Concludes CLOUDIX Field Campaign
Faizan Hashmi Published October 23, 2023 | 05:15 PM
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 23rd Oct, 2023) The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has concluded its field campaign titled "Cloud-Aerosol-Electrical Interactions for Rainfall Enhancement Experiment (CLOUDIX)" through the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP) in collaboration with Stratton Park Engineering Company (SPEC), a US-based company specialising in cloud physics research and instrumentation.
The month-long campaign encompassed a series of coordinated flight missions across the UAE airspace. The research was conducted using NCM’s King Air cloud seeding aircraft and an instrumented research Learjet aircraft operated by SPEC.
During the campaign, SPEC's research aircraft gathered essential data on cloud microphysical properties and electrical characteristics at varying altitudes within a target convective cloud. Subsequently, the NCM aircraft performed cloud seeding using three distinct approaches: Nanomaterial Seeding, Large Salt Particle Seeding, and Conventional Hygroscopic Flares.
Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Director-General of NCM, said, “The CLOUDIX research campaign aligns with the UAE’s relentless efforts to find viable solutions for the pressing global water security challenges. Through such innovative campaigns, NCM remains committed to harnessing the latest technology advancements to build new capacities in meteorology and weather modification to mitigate the repercussions of climate change on water-stressed regions worldwide in close collaboration with our prestigious international research partners.”
Dr. Al Mandous added, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the participants in this campaign, from the NCM team and SPEC, for their hard work and dedication. We are committed to continuing research in this area, and we believe that this work has the potential to make a significant contribution to water security in our region.”
Dr. Paul Lawson, Senior Research Scientist at (SPEC), said, “Due to the highly unpredictable and continuously changing locations of summertime convective cloud formation, conducting well-coordinated flights between the two aircraft presented a significant challenge to the research team.
However, through meticulous planning and coordination between the aircraft, the team successfully conducted multiple cloud penetrations and gathered in-situ measurements of cloud and rain particles.
The campaign offers invaluable data to enhance our understanding of convective cloud dynamics and develop more efficient rain enhancement strategies for arid and semi-arid regions.”
As various instruments were used during the campaign, the team is currently consolidating data from diverse sources to ensure consistency in the results. In doing so, they aim to investigate potential variations in aerosol sizes based on the charging state. These ongoing and upcoming analyses are planned for completion in the upcoming year.
Alya Al Mazrouei, Director of UAEREP, said, “CLOUDIX has marked a significant milestone in UAEREP’s efforts to deepen our understanding of cloud seeding's influence on rainfall enhancement and, consequently, advance cloud seeding research for the benefit of communities at risk of water scarcity. In conducting such research, we aim to accelerate the development of more practical solutions and maximise their impact on our cloud seeding operations.”
The aircraft crews reviewed weather information each morning, including atmospheric sounding data in Abu Dhabi, real-time airport weather information in Al Ain, and NCM weather forecasts. These insights guided flight plans, adjusting flight locations and altitudes to ensure measurements within active cloud regions. The crews communicated using an air-to-air VHF frequency while monitoring the UAE Air Traffic Control (ATC) frequency.
Onboard instruments aboard the Learjet measured meteorological and cloud variables, including the number and size distributions of cloud particles such as droplets, raindrops, and ice crystals, along with detailed imagery. These data revealed a diverse range of cloud particles in terms of sizes and shapes coexisting within the cloud, providing valuable information currently under analysis by the scientists at SPEC.
The data obtained from CLOUDIX are currently being analysed in greater detail by the scientists at SPEC. Of particular interest is the comparison between the cloud microphysical properties observed during the 2019 campaign when in-situ measurements of unseeded natural clouds were taken and the recent 2023 CLOUDIX mission. This comparison aims to identify the impacts of seeding on cloud microphysics while filtering out other influencing factors, such as large-scale dynamics and atmospheric conditions.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Pakistan calls for UN-Resolution-Based solution for Palestine
Punjab govt plans 10 years prison sentence for beggar mafia leaders
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 7 June 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 07 June 2024
PakSat MM1 reaches its earth orbit on June 05: SUPARCO
SC reserves verdict in appeals against NAB law amendments termination
Pakistan move in AVC Challenger Cup semis
Economic expert calls for national unity and economic reforms amid crisis.
Pakistan embassy to establish camp office in Luxembourg on June 22
Annual Members Photographic Competition, Exhibition opened
Govt funds will be used transparently: Commissioner
Govt determined to improve standard of education: Governor
More Stories From Middle East
-
UAE announces ‘Zero Bureaucracy Program’ to reduce bureaucracy
4 months ago -
COP28 President-Designate welcomes Transitional Committee agreement to operationalise Loss and Damag ..
7 months ago -
Global Media Congress 2023 to feature Co-Production Majlis as a new networking platform
7 months ago -
Young female athletes shine at Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship
7 months ago -
King of Jordan receives Abdullah bin Zayed and ministers participating in Arab coordination meeting
7 months ago -
Abdullah bin Zayed participates in coordination meeting of Arab foreign ministers, joint meeting wit ..
7 months ago
-
3rd annual conference of Emirates Society of Clinical Microbiology kicks off in Dubai
7 months ago -
SIBF 2023 hosts Nobel laureate to discuss emergence of ‘Afrofuturism’ in global discourse
7 months ago -
ALC announces winners of Kanz Al Jeel Award 2023
7 months ago -
SIBF turns spotlight on remarkable contributions of women
7 months ago -
Global assets in spot bitcoin ETFs hit $4.16 billion
7 months ago -
Rescuers struggle to find Nepal quake survivors as deaths reach 157
7 months ago