Japanese Cloud Seeding Experiments for Precipitation Augmentation (JCSEPA)

In some populated areas of central and western Japan, they have recently had a potential problem of water shortage. For the last twenty years, they have had the problem of water shortage almost every two or three years.

MRI, in cooperation with 10 other research organizations, has launched the five-year research project (2006-2011) “Japanese Cloud Seeding Experiments for Precipitation Augmentation (JCSEPA)” to aim drought mitigation and water resources management.

This project is made of 4 sub-programs; 1) analytical study by using past data, 2) remote sensing study by using multi-wavelength active and passive sensors, 3) airborne and ground-based in-situ measurements, and 4) meteorological and hydrological numerical modeling study and cloud chamber experiments.

This program has three main goals. The first one is to Investigate the causes of drought at different areas in Japan by analyzing past meteorological and hydrological data and identify typical weather pattern during drought. The second one is to develop a sophisticated weather modification technology for orographic snow clouds by improving monitoring technique for quantitative evaluation of seedable clouds, physical and statistical evaluation techniques of seeding effects. The third one is to Investigate the possibility of rain enhancement by glaciogenic and hygroscopic seeding in warm season on the basis of laboratory and numerical experimental study of giant CCN activation processes, development of monitoring technique of clouds with high seedability, and field (airborne) and numerical seeding experiments.

We also try to evaluate the effects of cloud seeing on drought mitigation and water resource management by using a combination of NHM and hydrological model.

New approaches toward a sophisticated weather modification technique in this program and some results will be briefly introduced in the presentation.