The effect of the ground-based cloud seeding for orographic snow enhancement in South Korea

Ground-based cloud seeding experiments have been conducted to investigate the forced condensation process for snow in a mountainous area in the eastern part of Korea from February to April, 2013. The four experiments have been made releasing AgI particles into orographic clouds by burning AgI-NH4I solution under following meteorological conditions: surface temperature < 0°C, wind direction between 0 and 130°, and wind speed < 5 m/s for at least 30 minutes. Releasing ratios of the AgI particles were 0.63 g min-1 (SR1) and 1.89 g min-1 (SR2). Snowfall was increased in SR1 cases, compared to that before the seeding. During the seedings, an increase the number of small ice particles was observed. It seems that instantaneous ice nucleation response by forced condensation freezing lead to an increase of small ice particle, when the vicinity of generator becomes transient supersaturated due to the combustion of acetone and propane.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the "Advanced Research on Applied Meteorology" of National Institute of Meteorological Research (NIMR) funded by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).