Computer Model Determination of Convective Cloud Seeded Growth Using Project Whitetop Data

Abstract

The one-dimensional cumulus dynamics model of Simpson and Wiggert has been applied to a large set of southern plains summer soundings to determine the seeding potential in terms of cloud growth and tower precipitation production. A 25% increase in height is predicted on 22% of the days, while a 50% increase is expected on about 7% of the days. The water fallout from the tower is seen to increase by 25% on 37% of the days. It was not possible to determine the precipitation on the ground as a part of the model calculation. Cloud size varies inversely with the model entrainment rate, whose complicated relationship to seedability is analyzed in detail.