Solid though limited Info on Man-Made Weather

But what have they learned to do recently?

From the American Academy for the Advancement of Science:

https://www.aaas.org/taxonomy/term/10/despite-past-failures-weather-modification-endures

Weather modification includes attempts to create more rain, prevent rain, reduce hail, prevent fog, make snow, or reduce the severity of a hurricane. Although often used to create more precipitation in drought-prone regions, in some cases, weather modification has been a matter of convenience more than necessity. The Chinese government credited weather modification for assuring good weather for the 2008 Olympics. Rockets were used to induce rain by cloud seeding other areas in an attempt to keep the rain away from Beijing, specifically during the opening and closing ceremonies. In fact, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau has a Beijing Weather Modification Office dedicated to controlling the weather in the city and surrounding areas.

Cloud seeding was discovered by accident in July 1946 by scientist Vincent Schaefer, who was conducting a laboratory experiment at General Electric Research labs in New York. He was trying to produce a cloud in a chest freezer but it wasn't cold enough, so he put slabs of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) in the freezer to cool it. To his surprise he found that when he breathed into the air, it created snow crystals.

Only a month later, his colleague, Bernard Vonnegut (older brother of writer Kurt Vonnegut) discovered another method for seeding using silver iodide crystals.

In November of that year, dry ice pellets were dropped by plane into a supercooled cloud (one that contains water in liquid form colder than the freezing point) over Massachusetts. Reportedly, it snowed only out of that portion of the cloud.

Today, silver iodide and dry ice are the most common chemicals used for seeding. The chemical is introduced into the cloud which induces the formation of ice crystals by providing the nuclei for water to condense. Liquid propane is sometimes also used, which turns into a gas at cold temperatures, freezing the surrounding air so that crystals form spontaneously out of the vapor.

Weather modification has been used in warfare. Between 1949 and 1952, Operation Cumulus was an attempt by the British government to learn to control the weather via cloud seeding, primarily for future military advantage. However, on August 16, 1952, a severe flood in the town of Lynmouth occurred after nine inches of rain fell in 24 hours. Infrastructure was damaged and 34 lives were lost. Although no evidence was found that Project Cumulus was to blame, the project was abandoned after the event.

From March 1967 to July 1972, Operation Popeye involved cloud seeding by the U.S. military in an attempt to extend the monsoon season over North Vietnam and Laos, specifically over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which was used to funnel North Vietnamese soldiers and supplies to South Vietnam. The targeted areas reportedly saw a longer monsoon season by 30 to 45 days.

But all weather modification for warfare purposes was ordered to cease. In 1977, the United Nations banned all military or hostile use of environmental modification techniques.

In 1947, a U.S. tropical hurricane that was moving west to east was seeded in an attempt to modify it. The hurricane then turned west and made landfall at Savannah, Georgia. This was blamed on the experiment, and the seeding of hurricanes was abandoned for over a decade.  

Between 1962 and 1971, Project Stormfury was undertaken by the U.S. to seed a hurricane's eyewall with silver iodide to weaken the storm. After what appeared to be some initial success with a noted drop in wind speed after seeding, it was determined that the results were inconclusive and such projects were again abandoned.  

in January 2011, it was reported that scientists in Abu Dhabi created over 50 artificial rainstorms between July and August of 2010 near Al Ain, which borders Oman. They used large ionizers to create fields of negatively charged particles which created clouds and rain — out of what had otherwise been a clear blue sky. Lightning, hail, and wind gusts even accompanied some of these storms.  [This technique of spraying particulates, then acting on them with ionizers to yield charged particles, seems to be currently in vogue—as discussed in our Symosium—Nass]

Here is the 1977 UN treaty that bans weather modification IN WAR—but not for other purposes. Dr. Marvin Herndon discussed this treaty during our Symposium last month, which, in his opinion, had the effect of allowing weather modification to go forward.

https://2009-2017.state.gov/t/isn/4783.htm

Treaty Text

Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques

Signed in Geneva May 18, 1977
Entered into force October 5, 1978
Ratification by U.S. President December 13, 1979
U.S. ratification deposited at New York January 17, 1980

The States Parties to this Convention,

Guided by the interest of consolidating peace, and wishing to contribute to the cause of halting the arms race, and of bringing about general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, and of saving mankind from the danger of using new means of warfare,

Determined to continue negotiations with a view to achieving effective progress towards further measures in the field of disarmament,

Recognizing that scientific and technical advances may open new possibilities with respect to modification of the environment,

Recalling the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment adopted at Stockholm on 16 June 1972,

Realizing that the use of environmental modification techniques for peaceful purposes could improve the interrelationship of man and nature and contribute to the preservation and improvement of the environment for the benefit of present and future generations,

Recognizing, however, that military or any other hostile use of such techniques could have effects extremely harmful to human welfare,

Desiring to prohibit effectively military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques in order to eliminate the dangers to mankind from such use, and affirming their willingness to work towards the achievement of this objective,

Desiring also to contribute to the strengthening of trust among nations and to the further improvement of the international situation in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Have agreed as follows:

Article I

1. Each State Party to this Convention undertakes not to engage in military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques having widespread, long-lasting or severe effects as the means of destruction, damage or injury to any other State Party.

2. Each State Party to this Convention undertakes not to assist, encourage or induce any State, group of States or international organiza-tion to engage in activities contrary to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this article.

Article II

As used in Article I, the term "environmental modification techniques" refers to any technique for changing -- through the deliberate manipulation of natural processes -- the dynamics, composition or structure of the Earth, including its biota, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, or of outer space.

Article III

1. The provisions of this Convention shall not hinder the use of environmental modification techniques for peaceful purposes and shall be without prejudice to the generally recognized principles and applicable rules of international law concerning such use.

2. The States Parties to this Convention undertake to facilitate, and have the right to participate in, the fullest possible exchange of scientific and technological information on the use of environmental modification techniques for peaceful purposes. States Parties in a position to do so shall contribute, alone or together with other States or international organizations, to international economic and scientific co-operation in the preservation, improvement, and peaceful utilization of the environment, with due consideration for the needs of the developing areas of the world.

Article IV

Each State Party to this Convention undertakes to take any measures it considers necessary in accordance with its constitutional processes to prohibit and prevent any activity in violation of the provisions of the Convention anywhere under its jurisdiction or control.

Article V

1. The States Parties to this Convention undertake to consult one another and to cooperate in solving any problems which may arise in relation to the objectives of, or in the application of the provisions of, the Convention. Consultation and cooperation pursuant to this article may also be undertaken through appropriate international procedures within the framework of the United Nations and in accordance with its Charter. These international procedures may include the services of appropriate international organizations, as well as of a Consultative Committee of Experts as provided for in paragraph 2 of this article.

2. For the purposes set forth in paragraph 1 of this article, the Depositary shall, within one month of the receipt of a request from any State Party to this Convention, convene a Consultative Committee of Experts. Any State Party may appoint an expert to the Committee whose functions and rules of procedure are set out in the annex, which constitutes an integral part of this Convention. The Committee shall transmit to the Depositary a summary of its findings of fact, incorporating all views and information presented to the Committee during its proceedings. The Depositary shall distribute the summary to all States Parties.

3. Any State Party to this Convention which has reason to believe that any other State Party is acting in breach of obligations deriving from the provisions of the Convention may lodge a complaint with the Security Council of the United Nations. Such a complaint should include all relevant information as well as all possible evidence supporting its validity.

4. Each State Party to this Convention undertakes to cooperate in carrying out any investigation which the Security Council may initiate, in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, on the basis of the complaint received by the Council. The Security Council shall inform the States Parties of the results of the investigation.

5. Each State Party to this Convention undertakes to provide or support assistance, in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, to any State Party which so requests, if the Security Council decides that such Party has been harmed or is likely to be harmed as a result of violation of the Convention.

Article VI

1. Any State Party to this Convention may propose amendments to the Convention. The text of any proposed amendment shall be submitted to the Depositary who shall promptly circulate it to all States Parties.

2. An amendment shall enter into force for all States Parties to this Convention which have accepted it, upon the deposit with the Depositary of instruments of acceptance by a majority of States Parties. Thereafter it shall enter into force for any remaining State Party on the date of deposit of its instrument of acceptance.

Article VII

This Convention shall be of unlimited duration.

Article VIII

1. Five years after the entry into force of this Convention, a conference of the States Parties to the Convention shall be convened by the Depositary at Geneva, Switzerland. The conference shall review the operation of the Convention with a view to ensuring that its purposes and provisions are being realized, and shall in particular examine the effectiveness of the provisions of paragraph 1 of Article I in eliminating the dangers of military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques.

2. At intervals of not less than five years thereafter, a majority of the States Parties to the Convention may obtain, by submitting a proposal to this effect to the Depositary, the convening of a conference with the same objectives.

3. If no conference has been convened pursuant to paragraph 2 of this article within ten years following the conclusion of a previous conference, the Depositary shall solicit the views of all States Parties to the Convention, concerning the convening of such a conference. If one third or ten of the States Parties, whichever number is less, respond affirmatively, the Depositary shall take immediate steps to convene the conference.

Article IX

1. This Convention shall be open to all States for signature. Any State which does not sign the Convention before its entry into force in accordance with paragraph 3 of this article may accede to it at any time.

2. This Convention shall be subject to ratification by signatory States. Instruments of ratification or accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

3. This Convention shall enter into force upon the deposit of instruments of ratification by twenty Governments in accordance with paragraph 2 of this article.

4. For those States whose instruments of ratification or accession are deposited after the entry into force of this Convention, it shall enter into force on the date of the deposit of their instruments of ratification or accession.

5. The Depositary shall promptly inform all signatory and acceding States of the date of each signature, the date of deposit of each instrument of ratification or accession and the date of the entry into force of this Convention and of any amendments thereto, as well as of the receipt of other notices.

6. This Convention shall be registered by the Depositary in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Article X

This Convention, of which the English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall send certified copies thereof to the Governments of the signatory and acceding States.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorized thereto by their respective governments, have signed this Convention, opened for signature at Geneva on the eighteenth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven.

DONE at Geneva on May 18, 1977.