April 14, 2020
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmMeteorologists Rain on Cloud-Seeding Parade
Originally published in July 1957
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
“The Council of the American Meteorological Society recently summed up the present evidence for the effectiveness of cloud-seeding. Its verdict: Not proven. Conditions favorable for artificial rainmaking, the statement points out, are very much the same as those which usually lead to natural rain. Says the Council: ‘Cloud-seeding acts only to trigger the release of precipitation from existing clouds.’ There appears to be no convincing evidence that ground-based silver iodide generators can increase rainfall in flat country. They seem effective only in cold weather and in regions where a mountain range forces the air to rise. The seeding of inactive cloud formations may act to dissipate them rather than cause them to produce rain.”
—Scientific American, July 1957
More gems from Scientific American’s first 175 years can be found on our shiny anniversary page.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
