WE鈥橵E had rainmakers鈥攏ow say hello to the rain-busters. Storm experts
in the US have plucked a cloud from the sky for the first time.
By sprinkling a water-absorbing powder over the cloud, the researchers made
it disappear from the sky and weather station radar screens. They hope the
powder will one day dry up deadly hurricanes and tropical storms.
鈥淚t is the moisture that gives hurricanes their strength,鈥� says Peter Cordani
who runs Dyn-O-Mat, the company that makes the product. 鈥淚n the case of a huge
hurricane, we would not be trying to soak it up altogether. But what we would do
is break it up and reduce its strength and killing potential. We think we can
save lives with this product and we are very happy about that.鈥� The powder could
also banish rain over open-air events and sports fixtures.
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Cordani and his team hope to get government permission to tackle a hurricane
or tropical storm in the coming season.
In their latest experiment, large military aircraft scattered the powder
through a storm cloud 1600 metres long and over 4000 metres deep. It took about
4000 kilograms of powder to soak up the moisture from the cloud, making it
virtually disappear. 鈥淚 had calls from a weather tower and even from Channel 5
news in Miami, saying that they had seen the cloud literally disappear off the
radar screen. They confirmed that there had been a tall build-up and the next
moment it was gone,鈥� Cordani says.
Each grain of the powder, called Dyn-O-Gel, is capable of absorbing 2000
times its weight in moisture, condensation and rain. Each molecule of powder can
hold several molecules of water. The wet powder becomes a gel.
The shape of the grains is also crucial for maximum absorption of moisture.
鈥淚f you were to look at a grain under a microscope, it would look rather like a
cornflake,鈥� says Cordani. 鈥淭his means that they flutter back and forth like a
snowflake as they pass through the cloud, taking up as much moisture as
possible. The first polymer we made just went straight down through the cloud,鈥�
he says.
Once the polymer turns into a gel, it becomes heavier and falls to earth. The
gel dissolves when it hits salt water, so if possible, storm clouds will be
tackled over the ocean. But the gel should still be safe if it falls over land.
鈥淢uch of the gel evaporates on the way down, and it is biodegradable and not
hazardous to the environment or anybody鈥檚 health,鈥� says Cordani. The company
spent $1 million on the test, and hopes to sell their powder to the US
government.
The same powder can also be used to help make rain. The tiny flakes help bind
rain drops together, stopping them from evaporating as quickly. Once the powder
is turned into a water-laden gel you could also use it to fight fires by dousing
the flames.
So, can we have sunny days whenever we like? Maybe. 鈥淚f there was a 50-mile
storm front moving in, we could only put holes in it. It would just keep
coming,鈥� says Cordani. But 鈥渋f there was a cloud threatening a sports fixture,
it would be possible to get rid of it鈥�.