On Using Historical Comparisons in Evaluating Cloud Seeding Operations

Abstract

Cloud seeding operations are often evaluated by comparing precipitation during operations with records of previous ?historical? precipitation. Possible biases that can arise from such comparisons have been discussed elsewhere. This paper uses extensive worldwide precipitation records to examine whether the usual statistical techniques may be validly applied to comparisons of precipitation in successive years, as is done in the above evaluations of cloud seeding. It is concluded that the chance of finding a ?significant seeding effect? in the absence of seeding is usually well above the nominal significance level used. We therefore recommend that P-values from such operational/historical comparisons be treated very cautiously, possibly by multiplying them by a suitable factor, e.g., a ?5% significant? result of such a comparison should really be regarded as more nearly ?10% significant.?