Will artificial rain be a solution?
Mainland Portugal is experiencing a serious droughtalmost unprecedented since the beginning of the continuous recording of meteorological data, and this scenario, already dark, seems to have no end in sight, forcing us to take a set of measures to mitigate the situation.
They exist several dams on a national scale with levels below 20% of water storage capacity. Among the most recent measures, at the beginning of this month of October, the suspension of hydroelectric production in 15 damswhich includes that of Goat Castleone of the main water storage points in the country.
The objective was to create a strategic water reserve to ensure the electrical supply. A will only happen again when the productions are reached as minimum water quotas.
The meteorological background
As Meteorological conditions that occur successively in the last twelve months were duly, to a large extent, the strong blocking anticyclones that for weeks and weeks and weeks on end, prevent the arrival of Atlantic stormssome of great impact (those that get a name).
This was reflected in a normal state of the weather which, since the beginning of the Hydrological Year 2021/2022 (October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022), it has never had a normal, or close to normal, weather state.
So much so that, just two months in a total of nap, were rainy year (March and September 2022). Both are not, even from the time when the peak of the annual season occurs in Portugalthis is, does not correspond to the typical peak of the autumn and winter climatic seasons (November, December, January and February).
This fact, already surprising in the negative – It means that in the months it usually rains little or no rain at all – makes this Hydrological Year 2021/2022just ended, a completely normal period, and the meteorological point of view, completely disastrous.
It is certain that the which scarce to this scenario of devastating droughtresponsible for increase in the production and curtailment of agricultural crops, emptying rivers and streams that have become dry or almost dry, dams with protected levels and cracked soils excessively prolonged calls.
But temperature also played a crucial role in this scenario by expressing, during most of the year, significantly above the normal values of the reference climatological averages.
ONE lack of rain In even more disastrous consequences, in addition to those already mentioned, such as lack of water for human consumption possibleor even yours proposals for fodder and agricultural cropswhich could translate into a problem for food productionbeyond the energy.
Octoberfor now, doesn’t seem to show any signs of changing the weather (despite the design forecast of some average weather models) started hotwith high season typical values of late temperaturespromoted to enhance the drought in our country.
However, the good news is that the september service generated a increase in the drought situation in the countryalthough with no visible practical effects since we would need consecutive weeks of abundant and persistent raindistributed on a regular and consistent basis and, preferably, without causing flooding, flooding on the ground and other damage.
Artificial rain, the solution to the chronic problem of drought in Portugal?
Second reportage of SIC Newsmeteorologists point out that, in addition to the urgent need for rainbecause the situation is every day more worryingit’s needed “make it rain”. According to meteorologist Hélder Silvano Nunesinterviewed by the aforementioned Portuguese media, several aspects of water management have to “modified, namely in terms of the forest, the water and the treatment given to the territory”.
The need to rain, whether caused artificially or by any other method. YOU weather data official express that, since the beginning of the 21st century, the annual has been declining. According to Silvano Nunes, in addition to the potential occurrence of “most prominent droughts”cases like that of butters – with “rains that erupt with immense violence” – can happen more frequently and contribute to the extreme of these phenomena.
But, in addition to of better management and need for land useknowing from the start what your strengths and vulnerabilities in relation to a certain risk (drought or flood)will be the method of artificial rain the solution that Portugal really need?
First of all, artificial rain is highly control production methodfor the polemic division it causes among the scientific community due to ethical and scalable issues. However, it should be noted that its application in other areas of the planet, for the fire fighting in indonesiaor to the download reduction in chinahas been relatively successful.
Artificial rain is already used in other countries
The technique of producing artificial rain is widely used Dubai (UAE) and consists of practice of artificially inducing or augmenting external agents in the clouds. These external agents can be various types of particles, such as: dry ice (solid carbon dioxide), silver iodide, powdered salt, among others. This process is known as cloud seeding. The stimulus is carried out by planes, rockets or drones.
The first phase does not consist of using chemicals to stimulate a mass of cloud formation.. These chemicals absorb water vapor and help with the condensation process. Chemicals such as calcium oxide, urea compound and ammonium nitrate or calcium carbonate and especially.
In the second stage, the density of clouds increases. In the end, aircraft fly over those of the storm and dump the external agents that facilitate the growth of water droplets which later fall in the form of rain.
The controversy with the use of this method is that, apart from raining where does it always rain, when interfering with the environment, there is little care due to the unpredictable consequences. Furthermore, a legal rightthis method is questionablefor the production and quantity of rain are not even effective in the alleged geographical areas.
As is supported in “100 Years of Progress in Applied Meteorology”“Despite enormous progress in this field over the past seven decades, the diligence of the cloud suspicions still controversial in the community”American academic statement in the article published in Meteorological Monographs.