Explain the scientific principles behind cloud seeding. Highlighting its role in alleviating air pollution and global warming, discuss its potential limitations.

Scientific principle

1. Spraying of chemicals like AgI, KI (silver iodide, potassium Iodide) on cloud.
2. AgI → condensation nuclei → promote cloud formation
3. Rainfall due to high water load in cloud post seeding

Plane (AgI spread) -> Clouds -> Rain

No Rain Earlier | Cloud seeding

Role in Allevating Air pollution

1. Improves weather due to cloudy condition.
2. water Droplet → Bind to pollutants (eg- PM10) → Bring them down
3. Empirical Evidence → In IIT Kanpur → Air Quality improved by 40% post seeding
4. Rainy season → less vehicle on road → reduces pollution

Role in global warming

1. More Reflection of Heat by clouds → As denser cloud are formed
2. Cooling of environment → cooling effect of water
3. More evaporation → More cooling
4. Decreases Temperature due to cloud formation in sky → Blocs light.

Limitation

1. Chemical used are carcinogenia
2. Long term impacts are unknown → may trigger other problem
3. Limited efficiency → many times no rainfall despite seeding
4. Need of initial cloud for seeding → experiments only during monsoon by IIT Kanpur
5. Might lead to other Heath & environmental concern

Case Study

Dubai (2023) → Cloud Seeding led to floods for first time

Way forward

1. Proper Trials and field evaluations
2. Studing long term effed

Solution