Science, and transportation united states senate

In addition to the RANN-supported research, the NSF supported

weather modification through its basic research program in meteorol-

ogy and through the atmospheric research facilities at the National

Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) at Boulder, Colo. 29

The NSF weather modification program is coordinated with weather

modification programs of other Federal agencies through the Inter-

departmental Committee for Atmospheric Sciences (ICAS) Panel on

Weather Modification and through numerous and frequent contacts

with representatives of the other Federal agencies. In 1975 an NSF

Weather Modification Advisory Panel was formed, composed of rep-

resentatives from the Department of the Interior (Buearu of Reclama-

tion), the Department of Commerce (National Oceanic and Atmos-

pheric Administration) , the academic community, commercial weather

modifiers, and industry. The Panel was formed to provide technical

advice to the NSF program manager for weather modification and to

assist in coordinating the program with other agencies. 30 As part of the

concerted effort throughout the executive branch to eliminate advisory

panels, the NSF Weather Modification Advisory Panel was recently

abolished.

Public Law 85-510 of July 11, 1958, directed the NSF "to initiate

and support a program of study, research, and evaluation in the field of

weather modification." 31 The Foundation promptly responded in es-

tablishing the new program, then within its broader program for at-

mospheric sciences, and expended $1,141,000 for research and evalua-

tion in weather modification in fiscal year 1959. 32 In designing the pro-

gram the advice and assistance of outstanding scientists and engineers

were sought, and an Advisory Panel for Weather Modification was ap-

20 Ibid.

30 Federal Council for Science and Technology, Interdepartmental Committee for Atmos-

pheric Sciences, ICAS 20-FY77. n. 9. r >.

31 See earlier section of this chapter for discussion of this and other Federal legislation

on weather modification.

32 National Science Foundation, "Weather Modification"; first annual report for fiscal

year ended June 30, 1959, NSF 60-24, p. 3.

269

of the Advisory Panel, Dr. Reuben G. Gustavson, stated : 33

Placing this important field of research under the aegis of the National Science

foundation has given rise to a new hope and confidence that the instability fac-

ors in regard to size and time of support will be removed. This is already bring-

ng young imaginative workers into the field. The rate of advance will to a large

neasure depend upon the quality of the trained scientists attracted to the prob-

.eni. If good scientists are to be attracted into the program, the Foundation must

be particularly concerned about the financial stability of the program.

The effect of Public Law 85-510 was to make the NSF the Federal

lead agency in weather modification, since there were research pro-

grams underway in a number of other agencies. Historically the NSF

program has provided the largest measure of Federal support to all

aspects of weather modification research over the years since establish-

ment of its program. When Public Law 90-407 of July 18, 1968,

amended the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, the specific

mandate for NSF to support a weather modification program and the

attendant lead agency role were effectively repealed. The further re-

quirements, established earlier by Public Law 85-510, that activities

in weather modification in the United States be reported to the NSF

and that the Foundation should publish an annual report to the Con-

gress, were also terminated with the passage of Public Law 90-407.

During the years when NSF was lead agency for weather modification,

10 annual reports were published, the last one covering fiscal year

1968. 34

Following passage of the 1968 law, the NSF continued to support

basic and applied research in weather modification under the broad

authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 as amended

by Public Law 90— 1-07. About one-third of the total Federal support

for weather modification has been provided by the NSF.

When the Research Applied to National Needs (RANN) Direc-

torate was established within the Foundation in 1971 "to bring the

resources of science and technology to bear on selected important na-

tional problems, 5 ' 35 most of the weather modification research was

transferred from the basic atmospheric science program to RANN.

While nearly all of this research was managed under RANN

by the Division of Advanced Environmental Research and Tech-

nology, two major studies were sponsored by RANN's Division

of Exploratory Research and Technology Assessment, which "sup-

ports research and assessment to provide greater visibility to the longer

range social, environmental, and economic impacts of new technology

applications and to identify and analyze emerging national problems

that may be avoided or ameliorated by science and technology." 36

The first of these two technology assessment studies was initiated in

1971 in response to a request from the Interdepartmental Committee

for Atmospheric Sciences (ICAS) to explore the feasibility of apply-

ing technology assessment concepts to planned weather modification

operational projects. ICAS suggested that the first project for such a

technology assessment might be the planned project of the Bureau of

33 Itrd.

34 National Science Foundation. "Weather Modification: Tenth Annual Report for Fiscal

Yenr Ended June 30, 1968." NSF 69-18. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.,

1969. 141 pp.

30 National Science Foundation. "Twentv-sixth Annual Report, for Fiscal Year 1976,"

NSF 77-1. Washington D.C.. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1977. p. So.

36 National Science Foundation. "Guide to Programs : Fiscal Year 1978," Washington,

DC, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1977, p. "51.

270

orographic clouds to increase snowpack in the Upper Colorado River

Basin, since the pilot experiment was already underway in the San

Juan Mountain Range and the Secretary of the Interior needed in-

formation to make a decision on implementation in the near future. 37

The contract for the assessment was funded and monitored by NSF,

the Stanford Research Institute being selected to undertake the study,

with assistance from the University of California at Davis and a num-

ber of consultants. The final report was published in 1974. 38

The second major study was an extensive technology assessment of

hail suppression in the United States. This project was initiated in

August 1975 and became known as the Technology Assessment of

the Suppression of Hail (TASH). The NSF grant was to the Univer-

sity of Illinois; however, a number of other institutions and individ-

uals were involved in the study through subcontracts or consulting

agreements. Total funding for the 18-month project included $290,500

from NSF and $60,000 from the State of Illinois. 39 The final report

of the TASH study was published in April 1977. 40

Table II is a listing of awards in weather modification research by

the Division of Advanced Environmental Research and Technology

for fiscal year 1973 through the 1976 transition quarter. The XSF

weather modification program has been divided into five major areas

under which the numerous research projects have been categorized.

These areas, corresponding to the five program objectives stated

earlier, are : (1) weather hazard mitigation studies on such phenomena

as hail, thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes and an attempt to

prevent or lessen damage from such storms; (2) weather modification

technology development ; designed to improve methods for modifying

the weather and of evaluating results of weather modification efforts;

(3) inadvertent weather modification investigations to delineate the

cause, extent, and impact of urban-industrial influences, such as heat,

moisture, aerosols, and surface roughness, on the weather; (I) socie-

tal utilization activities which relate the impact of weather on man.

provide goal orientation, and achieve the societal interface for suc-

cessful weather modification applications; and (5) an agricultural

weather modification program which includes developing techniques

for exerting influence on agricultural systems at critical points during

the planting, growing, and harvesting seasons in order to expand agri-

cultural production. 41 Each of these major program divisions will be

discussed in the following sections.

37 Weisbecker. Leo W. (compiler). "The Impacts of Snow Enhancement; Technology

Assessment of Winter Orographic Snowpack Augmentation in the Upper Colorado River

Basin." Norman, Okla., University of Oklahoma Press, 1974, p. v.

w Ibld., 024 pp. (A summary of the report was also published separately: Weisbecker.

Leo W.. "Snowpack. Cloud Seeding, and the Colorado River ; Technology Assessment of

Weather Modification." Norman, Okla.. University of Oklahoma Press. 1974*. 80 pp.)

39 Changnon. Stanley A., Jr.. Ray Jay Davis. Barbara C. Farhar. J. Eugene Haas. J. Lore-

ena Ivens. Martin V. Jones. Donald A. Klein. Dean Mann, Griffith M. Morgan. Jr.. Steven T.

Sonka. Earl R. Swanson. C Robert Ta.vlor. and Jon Van Blokiand "Hail Suppression ; Im-

pacts and Issues." Urbana. 111.. Illinois State Water Survey. April 1977. pp. i-iii.

40 Ibid.. 432 pp.. (A summary of the report was also published in 1977: Farhar. Bar-

bara ('.. Stanley A. Changnon. Jr.. Earl R. Swanson, Ray J. Davis, and J. Eugene Haas,

"Hail Suppression and Society," Urbana, 111.. Illinois State Water Survev, June 1977,

2:3 pp.)

41 Federal Council for Selenee and Technology, Interdepartmental Committee for Atmos-

pheric Sciences, ICAS 20-FY77. p. 95.

271

Table 14 —Summary of Weathe- Modification Research Awards by NSF/RANN for Fiscal Year 1973 through 1976 Transitional

nology.)

Principal investigator/

institution

Title

Effective date

(months)

Amount

FISCAL YEAR 1973 AWARDS

Atmospheric Research, Boulder,

Colo.

Jayaweera, K.O.L.F., University of

Sikdar, Dhirendra N., University of

Wisconsin-Madison, Madison,

Wis.

Agriculture, Wash ngton, D.C.

Taubenfeld, Howard J., Southern

Methodist University, Dallas, Tex.

Haas, J. E., University of Colorado,

Boulder, Colo.

Corrin, Myron L., Colorado State

UnrVersity, Fort Collins, Colo.

Grant, Lewis 0., Colorado State Uni-

versity, Fort Collins, Colo.

Barchet, Wm. Richard, University

of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison,

Wis.

McQuigg, James D., University of

Corrin, Myron L., Colorado State Uni-

versity, Fort Collins, Colo.

Warburton, Joseph A., Desert Re-

search I nstitute, Reno, Nev.

Hobbs, Peter V., University of Wash-

ington, Seattle, Wash.

Veal,' Donald L., University of Wyo-

ming, Laramie, Wyo.

Changnon, Stanley A. University of

Illinois-Urbana, Urbana, III.

Steele, Roger L., Desert Research

I nstituta. Reno, Nev.

Plooster, Myron N., University of

Denver, Denver, Colo.

Changnon, Stanley A., Jr., University

of Illinois-Urbana, Urbana, III.

Peterson, D. F., Utah State Univer-

sity, Logan, Utah.

Weickmann, Helmut K., National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-

istration, Boulder, Colo.

Moore, Charles, B., New Mexico

Institute of Mining and Technolo-

gy, Socorro, N. Mex.

Braham, Roscoe R., Jr., University

of Chicago, Chicago, III.

Chessin, Henry, State University at

Albany, Albany, N.Y.

Uthe, Edward E., Stanford Research

Institute, Menlo Park, Calif.

Klein, Donald A., Colorado State

University, Fort Collins, Colo.

Auer. August H., Jr., University of

Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo.

Ochs, Harry T., Ill, University of

Illinois-Urbana, Urbana, III.

FISCAL YEAR 1974 AWARDS

Anderson, C. E., University of

Wisconsin.

Auer, August H.

Wyoming.

University of

Contract for the management, opera- Aug. 1, 1972 12 $2,700,000

tion, and maintenance of the Na-

tional Center for Atmospheric Re-

search (funds for national hail re-

search experiment program).

Prevention of ice fog formation by ; n- Sept. 1, 1972 12 17, 600

ducing cloud cover— Feasibility

study in Fairbanks.

Study of the features and energy Oct. 1, 1972 12 96,900

budgets of northeastern Colorado

hailstones.

Economic and institutional con- Oct. 15, 1972 12 65,000

siderations of suppressing hail.

Study group on the societal conse- Nov. 1, 1972 12 64,400

quences of weather modification.

A comparative analysis of publicsup- Dec. 1, 1972 20 60,700

port of and resistance to weather

modification projects.

Heterogeneous ice nuclei. .. do 12 49,800

Precipitation augmentation from Jan. 1, 1973 12 281,400

orographically induced clouds and

cloud systems.

Precipitation process modification Feb. 15, 1973 12 55, 600

through ice nucleus deactivation.

Weather modification management do 12 42,000

guidelines.

Laboratory cloud simulation to sup- Mar. 1, 1973 12 112,600

port weather modification research

and field programs.

Silver iodide seeding rates and snow- do 12 80,100

pack augmentation.

Physical evaluation of cloud seeding Apr. 1, 1973 15 182,000

techniques for modifying orogra-

phic snowfall (the Cascade project).

Development of leaf-derived ice do 12 70,000

nuclei for weather modification.

Design of a hail suppression experi- do 12 142,200

ment in Illinois.

Sequence effects of heterogeneous Apr. 15, 1973 12 71, 000

nucleation.

M.crophysics— Diffusion interaction do 39,900

in ice nuclei plumes.

Studies of urban effects on rainfall do 12 211,400

and severe weather.

Workshop on inadvertent weather May 1, 1973 12 29,900

modification.

Installation and maintenance of May 22, 1973 6 39,033

ground network for national hail

research experiment.

Origin and role of electricity in clouds. June 1, 1973 12 170, 800

Inadvertent weather modification in do 12 275,000

the St. Louis area.

Development of cloud seeding tech- do 12 33, 500

nology utilizing modified silver

iodide structures.

Lidar— Radiometric study of urban do 12 54,100

atmospheric processes related to

climatic modification.

Microbiological impacts of silver July 1, 1973 12 67,600

iodide used in weather modifica-

tion.

activity by an urban area.

2-dimensional cloud modeling— July 1, 1972 12 117,700

Application to urban effects on

precipitation.

Study of the features and energy Oct. 1, 1973 12 100, 000

budgets of northeastern Colorado

hailstorms.

Modification of convective cloud Apr. 1, 1974 12 132,000

activity.

272

Table 14. Summary of Weather Modification Research Awards by NSF/RANN, for Fiscal Year 1973 through 1976 Transitional

nology.)— Continued

Principal investigator/ Duration

institution Title Effective date (months) Amount

FISCAL YEAR 1974 AWARDS— Continued

Barchet, William R., University of Precipitation process modification Feb. 15, 1973

Wisconsin. through ice nucleus deactivation.

Boone, Larry M., U.S. Department Economic and institutional consid- Oct. 1, 1973

of Agriculture. erations of suppressing hail.

Braham, Roscoe R., Jr., University Inadvertent weather modification in Apr. 1, 1974

of Chicago. the St. Louis area.

Changnon, Stanley A., Jr., University Studies of urban effects on rainfall do

of Illinois. and severe weather.

Design of a hail suppression experi- June 1, 1973

ment in Illinois.

Chessin, Henry, State University of Development of cloud seeding tech- do

N.Y. nology utilizing modified silver

iodide structures.

Chisholm, John P., Sierra Nevada An accurate and inexpensive air- July 1, 1974

Corp. borne windfinding system.

Corrin, Myron L., Colorado State Heterogeneous ice nuclei develop- Oct. 1, 1973

University. ment.

Davis, Briant L., South Dakota Chemical complexing of silver iodide- Sept. 1, 1972

School of Mines and Technology. alkali iodide aerosols prepared for

cloud seeding purposes.

Dennis, Arnett S., South Dakota Numerical analysis of proposed hail Sept. 1, 1971

School of Mines and Technology. suppression concepts.

Firor, John W., National Center for National hail research experiment.. July 1, 1973

Atmospheric Research.

Fujita, Theodore T., University of Basic research on tornadoes relevant Sept. 1, 1971

Chicago. to their modification.

Fukuta, Norihiko, University of Development of cloud seeding gen- July 15, 1973

Denver. erators for biodegradeable organic

ice nuclei.

Grant, Lewis 0., Colorado State Extended area effects from local Mar. 1, 1974

University. weather modification.

Cloud simulation and aerosol lab- Apr. 4, 1974

oratory.

Haas, J. Eugene, Human Ecology A comparative analysis of public re- Aug. 1, 1974

Research Services, Inc. action to weather modification

projects.

Hobbs, Peter V., University of Orographic snowfall in the Cascade Apr. 1, 1973

Washington. project.

Klein, Donald A. ( Colorado State Management of silver iodide used in July 1, 1974

University. weather modification: Develop-

ment in microbial threshold tox-

icity criteria.

Little, Gordon C, National Oceanic Operating two dual-Doppler radars June 1, 1974

and Atmospheric Administration. in conjunction with the 1974

summer operations.

McQuigg, James D., University of Weather modification guidelines Feb. 15, 1974

Missouri.

Moore, Charles B., New Mexico Lightning protection systems and May 15, 1974

Institute of Mining and Tech- thunderstorm electrification,

nology.

Mordy, Wendell A., Center for the A program of social science research Oct. 1, 1973

Future. coordination and goal evaluation

for Metromex.

Ochs, Harry T., Ill, University of Supportive modeling of urban effects July 1, 1974..

Illinois. on precipitation.

Plooster, Myron N., University of Microphysics — Diffusion interaction Apr. 15, 1974

Denver. in ice nuclei plumes

Schaefer, Vincent J., State University Second inadvertent weather modifi- April 1, 1974

of New York cation workshop.

Schickendanz, Paul T., Illinois State Climatic alterations in the Great June 1, 1974

Water Survey. Plains due to widespread irriga-

tion.

Simpson, Joanne, University of Evaluation and design of weather July 1, 1974

Steele, Roger L., University of Sequence effects of heterogeneous April 15, 1974

Nevada nucleation.

Taubenfeld, Howard J., Southern Study group on the societal conse- Oct. 1, 1973

Methodist University. quences of weather modification.

Veal, Donald L., University of Development of leaf-derived ice Apr. 1, 1973

Wyoming. nuclei for weather modification.

Warburton, Joseph A., University of Silver iodide seeding rates and snow- Mar. 1, 1973

Nevada. pack augmentation.

FISCAL YEAR 1975 AWARDS

Inadvertent weather modification:

Auer, August H., University of Modification of convective cloud activ- Apr. 1, 1975

Wyoming. ity by an urban area.

Braham, Roscoe R., Jr., Uni- Inadvertent weather modification in do

versity of Chicago. the St. Louis area.

12

$JJ, ouu

15

54, 000

12

12

12

12

12

24

24

12

OA

12

9

250, 000

4, 000

22, 800

182, 000

3

16 900

in nnn

12

1

1JU, uuu

15,000

/ 0, UUU

12

39, S00

it nnn

24

12

12

12

12

12

10

12

273

Quarter. (Data fiom Annual Summaries of Awards, RANN, Division of Advanced Environmental Research and Tech-

nology.)— Continued

Principal investigator/ Duration

institution Title Effective date (months) Amount

FISCAL YEAR 1975 AWARDS— Continued

Inadvertent weather modification— Continued

Chagnon, Stanley A., University Studies of urban effects on rainfall Apr. 1, 1975 12 $257,200

of Illinois. and severe weather.

Gossard, Earl E., National Dual-Doppler radar investigation of June 15, 1975 12 60,000

Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- wind flow patterns in Metromex.

ministration.

Ochs, Harry T., University of Numerical cloud modeling Apr. 1, 1975 10 63,400