China is aiming to manufacture 10 billion tons of rainfall on the Tibetan Plateau. They will build thousands of furnaces over the plateau. The rainmakers will be burning chemical fuel to release silver iodide into the air. This silver iodide will allow the water vapor to condense and form clouds which will draw rain. Many burners have already been installed in Tibet, which is the major water sources Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong and other rivers pass through China and Asia. A single cloud-seeding is capable of making enough clouds and rainfall that an area of 5km can be covered through it.
China is hoping to bring the rainfall and snow to an area of 1.6 million square km at least. The furnaces were originally built to use as a weather modification for Chinese military defense system. Some researchers have also questioned the safety of the rain system. According to them, releasing silver iodide at ground level can cause health issues for all the workers in that area. Similarly making artificial rain over a specific area can also cause unpredicted consequences for other areas.
Adam Sobel, an atmospheric scientist at Columbia University’s engineering school said, “If you’re making it rain where it wouldn’t otherwise, you’re taking water out of the air that would have rained elsewhere.” Another Chinese researcher commented on the rainmaking system and said, “Sometimes snow would start falling almost immediately after we ignited the chamber. It was like standing on the stage of a magic show.” The researchers working on the project are still working despite all the critiques, and are excelling at creating the rainmakers.
