CLOUD
CHAMBER - GEOGRAPHY
NEWS: India is
establishing a first-of-its-kind cloud chamber at the Indian Institute of
Tropical Meteorology (IITM) under Mission Mausam.
WHAT’S
IN THE NEWS?
Background
- India has previously conducted experiments on
cloud seeding through the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation
Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX), which showed that, under the right
conditions, cloud seeding could enhance rainfall by up to 46%.
- However, it is acknowledged that cloud seeding alone cannot solve
all rainfall issues.
What is a Cloud Chamber?
- A cloud chamber is a closed environment where
water vapor and aerosols are injected under controlled humidity and
temperature, allowing clouds to form.
- It will be Located at Indian Institute of
Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.
- It is First-of-its-kind in India, focusing
on convective properties to study Indian monsoon clouds.
Mission Mausam is led by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and aims
to enhance India’s capabilities in weather and climate science,
research, and services.
The mission’s focus will include improving observations and understanding for
providing highly accurate and timely weather and climate information across
temporal and spatial scales, including monsoon forecasts, alerts for air
quality, extreme weather events and cyclones, weather interventions for
managing fog, hail, and rain, etc., capacity building and generating awareness.
Implementation Framework:
The
three institutes under the Ministry of Earth Sciences will lead the project:
- India
Meteorological Department (IMD)
- Indian
Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)
- National
Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF)
- These
institutes will join forces with various institutions, based in this
country as well as abroad, be it an academic or an industry partner, and
would accelerate innovation and the transfer of knowledge among meteorological
global communities.
- Mission
Mausam will benefit thousands of stakeholders across sectors such as
agriculture, disaster management, defense, environment, aviation, water
resources, power generation, tourism, transportation, energy, and
healthcare. It would also enhance the decision-making process in urban
planning, transportation infrastructures, offshore operations, and
environmental monitoring.
Relevance
- India’s cloud chamber will focus on
understanding cloud physics specific to Indian weather systems,
particularly monsoon clouds.
- This facility is unique as it will have
convection properties, which are rare globally, allowing for detailed
studies of cloud behavior under various conditions.
- It will enable scientists to study the
particles that contribute to cloud formation and behavior.
Plans for Use
- Tailored
Studies: Ability to
adjust atmospheric parameters to simulate different environmental
conditions.
- Instrumentation
Development: Advanced
tools will be created over the next 18-24 months to monitor cloud
behavior.
- Seed
Particle Injection: Techniques
to test various scenarios affecting cloud formation.
Future Outlook
- Overall, the convective cloud chamber
represents a significant step in advancing India’s capabilities in weather
modification and research in cloud physics.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-climate/why-india-is-building-a-cloud-chamber-mission-mausam-9633221/