2013 Volume 8 Issue 1 Pages 13-24
Cloud seeding experiments using liquid carbon dioxide were carried out on 26 and 27 February 2012 near Miyake Island in the Izu Islands south of Tokyo, Japan. Convective clouds developed 0.5 to 1 h after the seeding near Miyake and Mikura Islands and reached heights of 3000 m and 4000 m on 26 and 27 February, respectively. Artificial convective clouds accompanied by rain, i.e., virga were observed, and rain was recognized by eye around Miyake and Mikura Islands on 27 February; we presume that the amount of rain increased on the mountainous part of the island. Consistent with cloud trajectories estimated from weather data, the artificial cloud was recognized as radar echoes later on 27 February east of Mikura Island as a chain of clouds at 3000 to 5000 m elevation. We found that seeding with liquid carbon dioxide within convective clouds near their bases is feasible when the air temperature is below -5°C. The practicality of liquid carbon dioxide seeding is supported by the results of this study, and we believe the spread of the technique.