Precipitation modification by ionization

Harrison, R. G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0693-347X, Nicoll, K. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5580-6325, Ambaum, M. H. P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6824-8083, Marlton, G. J., Aplin, K. L. and Lockwood, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7397-2172 (2020) Precipitation modification by ionization. Physical Review Letters, 124 (19). 198701. ISSN 0031-9007 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.198701

Abstract/Summary

Rainfall is hypothesised to be influenced by droplet charge, which is related to the global circuit current flowing through clouds. This is tested through examining a major global circuit current increase following release of artificial radioactivity. Significant changes occurred in daily rainfall distribution in the Shetland Islands, away from pollution. Daily rainfall changed by 24%, and local cloud optically thickened, within the nuclear weapons test period. This supports expectations of electrically induced microphysical changes in liquid water clouds from additional ionisation.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/90278
Identification Number/DOI	10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.198701
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Publisher	American Physical Society
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