United States Patent (113,613,992

72 Inventor Robert G. Knollenberg 2,527,230 10/1950 Schaefer....................... 23912

Mattoon, Ill. 2,550,324 4/1951 Brandau....................... 23912
(21) Appl. No. 538,904 OTHER REFERENCES
22 Filed Mar. 25, 1966
45) Patented Oct. 19, 1971 " On the Crystallization of Supercooled Clouds' C. L.
(73) Assignee The United States of America as Hosler, Journal of Meteorology Vol. 8, p. 326-331, Oct. 1951
represented by the Director of the National
Science Foundation Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr.
Assistant Examiner-Michael Y.Mar
Attorneys-T. Hayward Brown and Thomas J. Byrnes
54) WEATHERMODIFICATION METHOD
18 Claims, NoDrawings
(52 U.S.C........................................................ 23912, ABSTRACT: The present invention provides a method for
239/14, 252/359.1 producing rain or snow from natural atmospheric clouds using
I51) int. Cls........................................................ A01g 15/00 seeding agents characterized by a high solubility in water and
50 Field of Search............................................ 23912, 14; a large endothermic heat of solution in water. Typical exam
252/359.1, 305; 62/58 ples of materials suitable for use in practicing this invention
are urea, potassium nitrate, potassium nitrite, and ammonium
56 References Cited nitrate. Laboratory experiments have shown urea to be effec
UNITED STATES PATENTS tive in producing ice crystals in a vapor cloud having a tem
perature as high as +6°C. In field experiments, urea has been
2,232,728 2/1941 Pleasants...................... 23912 observed to cause snow showers in supercooled clouds.
 3,613,992
1. 2
WEATHERMODFICATION METHOD It is an object of this invention to provide seeding agents for
The invention described herein may be manufactured and weather modification which have a high solubility in water and
used by or for the Government of the United States of Amer a large endothermic heat of solution in water.
ica for Governmental purposes without the payment of any Another object of this invention is to provide seeding agents
royalties thereon or therefor. which function both as condensation nuclei and a ice nuclei.
The present invention relates to weather modification and A further object of this invention is the provision of seeding
more particularly to the production of rain or snow by in agents which have a high threshold temperature and which do
troducing into natural atmospheric clouds seeding agents hav not require supercooling to be effective.
ing a high solubility in water and a large endothermic heat of 10 Still another object is to provide seeding agents which are
solution in water. inexpensive and readily available.
Precipitation in the form of rain or snow begins with the for A still further object of this invention is the provision of
mation of clouds by the condensation of water vapor into seeding agents which are easily dispersed into the atmosphere
small stable droplets, and in order for water vapor to con and which are relatively unaffected by exposure to atmospher
dense, condensation nuclei must be present in the at ic conditions.
mosphere. These nuclei are composed of sea salt, sulphates, or 15 Laboratory experiments conducted in a Bigg-Warner
soil debris, and the smallest are commonly called Aitken chamber have shown urea to be highly effective ice nucleus
nuclei. According to the widely accepted Bergeron theory, with a threshold temperature as high as +6°C. A Bigg-Warner
rain or snow is precipitated from a cloud when the particles chamber is essentially a closed chamber which is capable of
are formed in the cloud. lice particles, because of favorable 20 being cooled to a controlled temperature and which has the
equilibrium conditions, can increase in size at the expense of necessary means for introducing water vapor and a seeding
liquid water droplets, and as the ice particles increase in size, a agent. Nucleation of the water vapor in the chamber is ob
point is reached at which they become heavy enough to fall to served with the aid of a saturated sugar solution. A complete
the ground. The formation of ice particles in clouds requires description of the construction and operation of a Bigg
the presence of ice nuclei; however, the source of natural ice 25 Warner chamber similar to that used in these experiments, ap
nuclei is presently unknown. pears in "Elements of Cloud Physics' by Horace Robert Byers
The artificial production of rain or snow has consisted (University of Chicago Press).
mainly of attempts to initiate the formation of ice particles in In these experiments, the temperature of the Bigg-Warner
natural atmospheric clouds. In general, two approaches have chamber was first lowered to the desired temperatures and
been used previous to the present invention. In the first, 30 sufficient water vapor was then introduced into the chamber
foreign material having a hexagonal crystalline structure to produce an artificial cloud having a liquid water content of
similar to ice is introduced into clouds in order to stimulate by 2 to 3 grams per cubic meter. The urea used in these experi
an epitaxial mechanism to growth to ice crystals within the ments was industrial grade obtained from a commercial
clouds. Epitaxial ice crystal growth occurs by the accretion of source and which contained approximately 0.1 percent impu
water molecules on a seed crystal with a matching lattice 35 rities including water. Before use, this urea was milled so that
structure and similar molecular distances. Typical of materials approximately 10-10 particles were contained in0.1 mg., the
capable of acting as an ice nucleus in this manner are silver amount of urea used to seed in these experiments. Nucleation
iodide, lead iodide, cupric sulfide, and kaolinite. Silver iodide of the cloud in the chamber was considered to have been ef
has been the most widely used artificial seeding nucleus fected when one ice crystal was observed in the sugar solution.
because of its high threshold temperature. The threshold tem 40 iceThese laboratory experiments indicated that urea generated
particles from a temperature of +6 C. to well below -15
perature is the highest temperature at which a seeding agent is
effective in producing ice crystals in a cloud of water droplets. C. While an ice crystal which formed in a cloud with a tem
The second approach has been to drastically supercool a local perature greater than 0° C. would, of course, immediately
area of the cloud, thereby causing homogeneous ice nuclea 45 begin to melt, positive indication of cloud nucleation required
tion in the cloud. A typical material employed in this manner only that it survive long enough to fall into the sugar solution.
is solid carbon dioxide or "Dry Ice.' Preliminary tests disclosed that the sugar solution would not
Although these approaches have proved useful, they have be affected by either urea particles or supercooled liquid
not been entirely satisfactory under all conditions. Silver droplets. Visual observation of the ice crystals in the cloud,
iodide is expensive and requires special generating equipment; 50 which requires the existence of unobstructed crystalline faces,
further, it tends to decompose after a short exposure to the at could be made at temperatures of -8°C. and below. Above
mosphere. Lead iodide, cupric sulfide and kaolinite are -8 C., the crystal faces are obscured since both water and ice
are formed together.
characterized by low threshold temperatures. Furthermore, all
previously known ice nuclei required supercooling of the The seeding agents of the present invention operate both as
cloud. Solid carbon dioxide suffers from the disadvantage that 55 condensation nuclei and as ice nuclei. At temperatures above
it readily sublimates under atmospheric conditions. Further and below the freezing point of water, they act as condensa
more, it is relatively insensitive since the number of ice parti tion nuclei since their high solubility in water renders them
cles produced per particle of solid carbon dioxide is relatively hygroscopic. As water is absorbed, cooling results because of
small. The general purpose of this invention is to provide a the large endothermic heat of solution. As cooling progresses,
method for weather modification which embraces all the ad 60 a point is reached where an ice particle is formed which results
vantages of the prior art approaches and possesses none of the in cloud nucleation in the conventional manner. For example,
aforementioned disadvantages. To attain this, the present in with urea, bulk aqueous solutions will be cooled to the eutec
vention contemplates the use of seeding agents which have a tic point, -l 1.5 C., and small aqueous droplets will be cooled
high solubility in water and a large endothermic heat of solu to -20° or -25 C. Assuming that the maximum cooling ob
tion in water. By an endothermic heat of solution is meant the 65 tainableonistheto solubility
the eutectic point, thermochemical calculations
absorption of heat on dissolution which results in cooling of based of urea and its heat of solution indicate
the solution. Such a seeding agent is capable of acting both as that urea can nucleate a cloud with a temperature of 18 C.
a condensation nucleus and as an ice nucleus. Typical materi To form an ice particle, the urea must cool the droplet to a
als which have a high solubility in water coupled with a large temperature at which ice nucleation can take place. The freez
endothermic heat of solution in water are potassium nitrate, 70 ing temperatures of urea solutions were determined by freez
potassium nitrite, ammonium nitrate, and urea. Laboratory ing solution droplets, 100 to 120 microns in diameter,
and field experiments have shown finely divided, crystalline suspended in silicone oil. Droplets of 0.83 and 6.8 molal urea
urea to be an effective seeding agent having a threshold tem solutions were observed to have median freezing temperatures
perature at least as high as silver iodide and being at least as 75 of-42
a similar
C. and -48 C. In comparison, pure water droplets of
size have a median freezing temperature of -36 C.
potent as silveriodide.
 3
3,613,992
4.
There is no evidence that urea solutions can cool themselves degrees higher than that observed for cupric sulfide alone.
to below -40 C. While urea has a tetragonal crystal habit, it The seeding agents of the present invention can be used in the
can, under the proper conditions, promote the growth of ice form of mechanical mixtures with conventional seeding
crystals by an epitaxial mechanism. Assuming --6 C. is the agents, but they can be more effectively used as an exterior
upper limit for ice nucleation by urea, it can be shown that the coating on conventional seeding agents.
epitaxial threshold temperature is -20°C. As small quantities The present invention provides a method for weather
of saturated urea solutions have been observed to cool then modification using seeding agents characterized by high solu
selves to -20 to -25 C., the formation of ice crystals in a bility in water and a large endothermic heat of solution in
cloud seeded with urea can be explained on the basis of an water. A typical example of a material suitable for use in this
epitaxial mechanism. 10
invention is urea. It is inexpensive, readily available, and
A series of field tests using urea as a seeding agent for super highly effective and is capable of acting as both a condensa
cooled clouds was carried out during midwinter in off-airways tion and ice nucleus. Obviously, many modifications and
areas in the north-central United States. A specially instru variations of the present invention are possible in the light of
mented airplane was used for releasing the urea and for moni 15 the above teachings. It is, therefore, understood that within
toring the results. In three of the field experiments the urea the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be prac
was manually released by allowing it to flow out a 4 inch ticed otherwise than as specifically described.
diameter plastic tube that was fitted into a hole in the fuselage I claim:
of the airplane. Twenty pounds of urea were dropped in these 1. The method of producing precipitation from a natural at
field releases and the average seeding rate was between 5 and 20 mospheric cloud comprised of supercooled water droplets,
10 pounds per mile. In the first and second field experiments, which method comprises introducing into said cloud particles
the urea used was similar to that used in the laboratory tests. of a finely divided solid substance having a high solubility in
Before use in the field experiments it was milled so as to have water and a large endothermic heat of solution and selected
an average particle diameter of 25 to 30 microns, and each from the group consisting of urea, potassium nitrate, potassi
gram contained about 10-10 particles. Wind tunnel tests in 25 um nitrate and ammonium nitrate.
dicated that clumping milled urea would not be a serious 2. The method of claim wherein the solid substance is
problem in air releases. In the third field experiment, the urea ea.
used was a reagent grade material obtained from a chemical 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the solid substance is
supply house. This urea had an average particle diameter of potassium nitrate.
150 microns. In the fourth field test, industrial grade urea was 30 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the solid substance com
released through a specially constructed pulverizing prises potassium nitrite.
mechanism mounted on the aircraft. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the solid substance com
In all tests, the urea was released in the upper 200 feet of the prises ammonium nitrate.
cloud. Previous experience indicated it to be advisable to use 6. The method of causing ice crystal formation in a mass of
"Dry Ice' drops as an aid to navigation when testing unproven 35 water droplets having a temperature less than +6°C., which
seeding agents. A "Dry Ice" drop was made in the first field comprises introducing into said mass of particles a finely di
experiment but was not used in subsequent tests because of vided solid substance having a high solubility in water and a
the marked visual effects which accompany urea seeding. large endothermic heat of solution and selected from the
In the first field experiment, the cloud seeded was of the group consisting of urea, potassium nitrate, potassium nitrite
stratus type. Its top was estimated to be 6.7 kilometers above and ammonium nitrate.
40
the ground level, while its base was estimated to be 2.5 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the solid substance is
kilometers above the ground level. The liquid water content of ca,
this cloud was 0.5 grams per cubic meter, and its temperature 3. The method of claim 6 wherein the solid substance is
was found to be -1.6°C. Urea was introduced into this cloud at potassium nitrate.
a seeding rate of 9.3 pounds per mile. After a short period, a 45
9. The method of claim 6 wherein the solid substance is
hole developed in the cloud with the appearance of sundogs potassium nitrite.
and a heavy snow shower was observed to fall to the ground. 10, The method of claim 6 wherein the solid substance is
In the second experiment, a stratus cloud was again seeded. ammonium nitrate.
Its top and base were 6.0 and 3.3 kilometers above the ground 50 11. The method of causing ice crystal formation in a mass
level, respectively. Its temperature was -13.8 C., and its comprised of supercooled water droplets, which method com
liquid water content was 0.6 grams per cubic meter. Urea was prising
introduced into this cloud at a seeding rate of 4.8 pounds per dividedintroducing into sad mass an intimate mixture of finely
solid substances, one of said solid substances consist
mile, and a very dense snow shower and a broken hole in the ing of a crystalline material capable of acting as an ice forming
cloud was observed after seeding. 55 nucleus, an another of said solid substances consisting of a
In the third experiment, an altostratus cloud, with a top 10.8
kilometers above the ground level, was seeded. The base of material having a high solubility in water and a large endother
mic heat of solution in water.
this cloud was 9.8 kilometers above the ground level, and its
temperature and liquid water content were observed to be high12.solubility The method of claim 11 wherein the material having a
-13.1° C. and 9.2 grams per cubic meter. Urea was added to 60 tion is urea. in water and a large endothermic heat of solu
this cloud at a rate of 12.2 pounds per mile and produced a
well-defined snow shower that was strongly sheared by the high13.solubility The method of claim 11 wherein the material having a
in water and a large endothermic heat of solu
wind below the cloud base. tion is potassium nitrate.
In the fourth field experiment, a thick stratus cloud with a
base approximately 0.9 kilometers above the ground level was 65 high14.solubility
The method of claim 11 wherein the material having a
seeded, and the temperature of this cloud was observed to be tion is potassiumin nitrite. water and a large endothermic heat of solu
-10°C. Ten grams of urea were seeded into the cloud over a
2-mile flight path. About 10 particles were produced by the high15.solubility The method of claim 11 wherein the material having a
in water and a large endothermic heat of solu
pulverizer, and a definite snow shower was observed to fall tion is ammonium nitrate.
from the cloud.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein the urea forms a coat
The seeding agents of the present invention have not only ing on the crystalline material capable of acting as an ice
utility in themselves but are also useful when admixed with nucleus.
conventional seeding agents. For example, a mixture of potas 17. The method of causing ice crystal formation in a mass of
sium nitrate and cupric sulfide was observed in tests in a Bigg water droplets suspended in air and having a temperature less
Warner chamber to have a threshold temperature several 75 than +6°C., which method comprises introducing in said mass
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particles of finely divided urea whereby the water droplets are solubility in water and a large endothermic heat of solution in
simultaneously condensed on and cooled by the urea particles water and selected from the group consisting of urea potassi
thereby causing crystallization of water in the aforementioned um nitrate, potassium nitrite, and ammonium nitrate whereby
mass of water droplets. the water droplets are simultaneously condensed and cooled
18. The method of causing precipitation from a natural at by the said particles thereby causing crystallization of the
mospheric cloud consisting of supercooled water droplets water droplets in the aforementioned natural atmospheric
which comprises introducing into said cloud particles of a cloud.
finely divided solid material foreign to said cloud having a high
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