The primary objective of Project Cyclops was to disrupt the structure of hurricanes by releasing silver iodide into their cloud systems. Silver iodide acts as a nucleating agent, encouraging the formation of ice crystals from supercooled water droplets within storm clouds. In theory, this process could alter the thermodynamics of a storm, potentially reducing its intensity.

The experiment was a joint effort between NOTS scientists and the Weather Bureau (now known as the National Weather Service, a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]). A critical component of the experiment was the Cyclops device, designed to disperse silver iodide into the clouds from an aircraft. The first test was conducted over Hurricane Esther from a U.S. Naval Station in Puerto Rico. Eight Cyclops units were dropped into the northeast quadrant of the hurricane’s wall cloud.

The results were significant, with a “dramatic and radical change in the thermodynamics of the hurricane” observed for approximately one and a half hours following the seeding. The project report noted that the seeded area of the storm experienced a rapid conversion of supercooled water droplets into ice crystals. This led to the formation of a “cup-like” shape in the hurricane’s eye, with the wall cloud appearing to spread outwards. In the words of the report, “the changes in the form of the eye continued for at least an hour and a half,” during which time the eye’s shape oscillated and even resembled a figure 9 before returning to its original circular structure.

While these results were promising, the project was not deemed a conclusive success. As the report noted, “Had more Cyclops units been available to continue the attack, far more conclusive results might have been achieved.” Despite this, the findings demonstrated the potential of hurricane modification as a viable area of research. NOTS expressed hope to continue experiments with modified Cyclops units during the following year’s hurricane season in 1962.

The potential implications of Project Cyclops were vast, hinting at a future where hurricanes might be influenced or weakened before making landfall. However, as the results were still preliminary, the project highlighted the need for further experimentation and development. The report concluded with a recommendation to conduct more tests and suggested using smaller Cyclops units for better dispersal and control in future hurricane modification efforts.

For more information, check out the Project Cyclops report below, and browse other “Weather Modification” documents archived here on The Black Vault.

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Document Archive

PROJECT CYCLOPS. AN EXPERIMENT IN HURRICANE MODIFICATION [41 Pages, 13MB]

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The post Project Cyclops: Efforts in Hurricane Modification Showed Promising Results in 1961 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Project Cirrus was an early attempt at weather modification, conducted in the late 1940s by a collaboration between the U.S. military and General Electric (GE). Launched in 1947, its primary goal was to alter weather patterns by seeding clouds with dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) or silver iodide particles. The idea was that the particles would encourage cloud condensation, thereby influencing precipitation, including rain or snow, or even altering the intensity or course of storms.

One of the most famous and controversial moments in Project Cirrus occurred in October 1947, when the team attempted to seed a hurricane off the coast of Florida. Shortly after the seeding, the hurricane abruptly changed course and made landfall in Georgia, leading to significant damage. Although it is uncertain whether the seeding caused the change in direction, the incident resulted in public outcry and legal threats, causing the project to be temporarily halted.

Project Cirrus was part of the broader U.S. effort during and after World War II to explore ways to control natural forces for military or economic purposes. While it did not yield significant long-term success, the research conducted during the project laid the groundwork for future experiments in weather modification, such as Project Stormfury in the 1960s.

Document Archive

Project Cirrus Progress Report No. 5, 15 September 1948 [22 Pages, 10.76MB]

Project Cirrus Progress Report No. 6, 15 October 1948 [14 Pages, 5.71MB]

Project Cirrus Final Report, 31 December 1948 [137 Pages, 20.32MB]

The post Project Cirrus – Hurricane Modification first appeared on The Black Vault.

The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) is an ionospheric research program jointly funded by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the University of Alaska, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Designed and built by BAE Advanced Technologies (BAEAT), its purpose is to analyze the ionosphere and investigate the potential for developing ionospheric enhancement technology for radio communications and surveillance. The HAARP program operates a major sub-arctic facility, named the HAARP Research Station, on an Air Force–owned site near Gakona, Alaska.

HAARP has been the topic of conspiracy theories for quite some time, which range from HAARP being capable of modifying weather, disabling satellites and exerting mind control over people, and that it was being used as a weapon against terrorists. Such theories blamed the program for causing earthquakes, droughts, storms and floods, diseases such as Gulf War Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800, and the 2003 destruction of the space shuttle Columbia.

Below are documents obtained about HAARP, and are archived here for research and are listed in chronological order of report date.

Environmental Impact Study

 Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1. Proposed High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, July 1993 [ 450 Pages, 21MB ] – The FEIS describes the potential environmental impacts of constructing and operating a proposed ionospheric research facility in interior Alaska. The system is referred to as HAARP(High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program), and would be used primarily for conducting pioneering studies of ionospheric properties. This proposed facility would be the most technologically advanced in the world. The program could lead to a better understanding of the ionosphere and enable researchers to develop methods for enhanced communications for both civilian and defense applications. The HAARP system consists of a powerful high frequency radio transmitter, referred to as the ionospheric research instrument, and a number of scientific data gathering (diagnostic) instruments. This document addresses three alternatives associated with the construction of the HAARP facility; namely construction at either Clear or Gakona, and the no action alternative. Issues and resources that were examined for both of the sites include land and minerals, vegetation and wetlands, mammals, birds, aquatics, hydrology and water quality, air quality, socioeconomics, cultural resources, subsistence, recreation, aesthetics, possible bioeffects of radio frequency radiation, electromagnetic environment and radio frequency interference, atmosphere, threatened and endangered species, hazardous materials and wastes, and irretrievable commitment of resources.

 Environmental Impact Analysis Process. Final Environmental Impact Statement. Part 2. Proposed High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program [ 410 Pages, 21MB ]

FBI Files

FBI Files: High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) [25 Pages, 11MB]

Research Documents

 HAARP, Research and Applications, 1990 [ 19 Pages, 1.25MB ] – This report describes and documents the scientific uses and the wide range of applications created by the HF Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). The report is based on the deliberations of a scientific committee sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Office of Naval Research and convened by the East-West Space Science Center of the University of Maryland. The HAARP represents a technological advancement with capabilities that allow for new and unique dual-use research and application opportunities. Use of the ionosphere as an active, nonlinear medium allows the primary HF energy to be transformed in a controlled fashion into coherent radiation from 0.001 Hz to 40 kHz and into incoherent IR and visible wavelengths. This function, supplemented with the generation of FAS and with the use of the transmitter as a radar, makes the HAARP transmitter a unique source for remote sensing and communication uses.

 Electromagnetic Interference Impact of the Proposed Emitters for the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) 14 May 1993 [ 134 Pages, 4.9MB ] – The proposed HAARP emitters at the Gakona (Alaska) preferred site and at the Clear AFS (Alaska) alternative site are the Ionospheric Research Instrument (IRI), the Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR), and the Vertical Incidence Sounder(VIS). The electromagnetic interference (EMI) impact of those emitters on receiving systems in the vicinity of the sites is estimated in this study. The results are intended for use as an input to the Air Force Environmental Impact Statement as part of the Environmental Impact Analysis Process.

 An Electromagnetic Interference Study of Potential Transmitter Sites for the HF Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), 19 July 1993 [ 40 Pages, 1.81MB ] – This report presents the results of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) measurements conducted by the Naval Research Laboratory in June of 1991. This study examined a number of potential sites for the location of the proposed High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) transmitter facility. The proposed HAARP facility will consist of a large planar array of antennas excited by phased high power transmitters operating in the lower portion of the HF band (2.8 to 8 MHz). Several candidate locations were identified for study in the vicinity of Fairbanks, Alaska. The magnitude of EMI in the population centers and on other commercial and public facilities in the vicinity of Fairbanks from the high power transmitter is a major factor in the site selection process for HAARP. The EMI investigations were conducted in two phases. For Phase I of the study, EMI measurements were conducted at two receiver locations using an airborne transmitter at thirteen potential HAARP sites. The results from the Phase I measurements were examined and the two most promising candidate transmitter locations were selected for more comprehensive measurements during Phase II. For Phase II, comprehensive EMI measurements were made for each of the two candidate transmitter sites. Field strengths were measured at a variety of receiver locations that are representative of the impact area for the EMI from HAARP. The results for both the Phase I and Phase II measurements are presented in this report.

 High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) Imager, 30 September 1993 [ 322 Pages, 10.2MB ] – A low-light-level monochromatic imaging system was designed and fabricated which was optimized to detect and record optical emissions associated with high-power rf heating of the ionosphere. The instrument is capable of detecting very low intensities, of the order of 1 Rayleigh, from typical ionospheric atomic and molecular emissions. This is achieved through co-adding of ON images during heater pulses and subtraction of OFF (background) images between pulses. Images can be displayed and analyzed in real time and stored in optical disc for later analysis. Full image processing software is provided which was customized for this application and uses menu or mouse user interaction.

 HAARP High Power Experiments and Observations of Ionospheric Interactions, 1996 [ 5 Pages, 0.2MB ] – We review experiments in ionospheric modification and long distance propagation performed at the HAARP facility. Most experiments were in bistatic configuration with the WAVES receiver on the NASA/WIND satellite. Initial experiments showed scintillation-like variations in low frequency propagation through the earth’s ionosphere. A HAARP-HIPAS transmission experiment set up a spatial interference pattern measured at WIND. The Kodiak SuperDARN radar scanned the modified region above HAARP and observed the growth of ionospheric irregularities. Recently, lunar echoes at 8 MHz were detected by WIND. The experiments at HAARP will extend to nonlinear regimes as power levels increase.

 Imaging of Underground Structure Using HAARP, February 1999 [ 48 Pages, 3.3MB ] – Non-invasive imaging of underground structure is important for the detection of hidden tunnels and other hazards, as well as resource exploration, mineral exploration, and environmental contamination problems. We processed and analyzed electromagnetic imaging data sets provided by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The main parts of this study included: 1) subsurface imaging using smooth minimum-structure algorithms, 2) adaptation of imaging algorithms for parametric inversions, 3) analysis of the sensitivity and resolution of data to subsurface features and sharp boundaries, and 4) modification of robust processing algorithms for AMT data. Our analysis using synthetic data for simple models indicates the subsurface tunnels can be successfully detected if they are at a depth to diameter ratio of approximately 3:1 or less. Detection of tunnels in actual field conditions is more difficult because of the low signal levels in the AMT frequency range and geologic noise. This was evident in all data sets analyzed under this contract. The HAARP transmitter has the potential to be a valuable exploration tool in that it could generate EM fields that appeared locally as plane waves and could overcome the problems with low AMT signal levels and geologic noise. Our modifications to robust processing algorithms for AMT data and for controlled source data have proven useful for analyzing data with low signal levels and large amounts of noise.

 Geophysical Electromagnetic Sounding Using HAARP, March 2002 [ 14 Pages, 1MB ] – The electrical resistivity of the ground can be measured by several methods. One, which has proven useful, is the controlled source magnetotelluric method (CSAMT). Current over a wide range of frequencies is introduced into the earth through a grounded dipole. Then the resulting electric and magnetic fields are measured at a distance greater than several skin depths. The apparent resistivity is then calculated by: p = 1/5f E/B(exp 2) The apparent resistivity vs. frequency can be converted into true resistivity vs. depth, This grant involved an investigation into the HAARP virtual antenna pattern out to 200 km, and its use as a CSAMT transmitter.

 High Frequency Radar Astronomy With HAARP, 2003 [ 7 Pages, 0.4MB ] – At high frequency, radio waves will interact with space plasmas and surfaces of local astronomical objects, producing an echo that can provide new diagnostic data. The availability of high power radars operating at high frequencies opens a window for the remote investigation of our surrounding space environment. We discuss and illustrate this technique with some specific examples.

 Investigation of Plasma Phenomena in the Ionosphere Under Natural Conditions and Under Conditions Artificially Perturbed by HAARP, 17 August 2005 [ 81 Pages, 50.2MB ] – Under this contract, Northwest Research Associates (NWRA) is performing measurements of the ionosphere in order to investigate plasma phenomena in both the natural ionosphere and in the ionosphere perturbed by the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) high-frequency heater. The research being conducted falls within Hanscom Technical Areas 3(a), “Ionospheric Effects Research and Department of Defense Systems,” and 3(b), “Ionospheric Research Technology,” of the Broad Agency Announcement VS-O3-Ol released by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). As a contribution to Technical Area 3(b), we are collaborating with scientists and engineers from AFRL, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and other research organizations in the application of diagnostic instrumentation to HAARP. Among the HAARP instruments that we are applying to ionospheric research are three NWRA ITS1OS coherent radio receiving systems for measuring relative Total Electron Content (TEC) and recording scintillation, and an Ashtech Model Z-FX UPS receiver for measuring absolute TEC. We are posting TEC from these instruments, and phase-scintillation records from the ITS10S receivers, on the HAARP Web site (www.haarp.alaska.edu) for telescience applications and for decision-making during active experiments, and we are also focusing on inverting the TEC data tomographically to produce images of the F layer over Alaska. Research topics under the foregoing objectives are reported in Section 2.

 Report on the HAARP 2008 Winter Campaign Focusing on Artificial Ionospheric Irregularities, 31 July 2008 [ 110 Pages, 14.1MB ] – A research campaign was conducted at the joint US joint Air Force, US Navy, and DARPA High-Latitude Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) site near Gakona, AK, during the period 21 February through 3 March 2008. The focus of the campaign was on generation of plasma-density irregularities in the ionosphere an optical and RF emissions from the ionosphere as a by-product of the interaction between the HAARP HF heater and the atmosphere and ionosphere above HAARP. This report documents the preliminary results obtained from this campaign through short (two to three page) summaries provided by the Principal Investigators for each of the experiments runs.

The post The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) first appeared on The Black Vault.

Background

Project Stormfury was an attempt to weaken tropical cyclones by flying aircraft into them and seeding with silver iodide.

The project was run by the United States Government from 1962 to 1983.The hypothesis was that the silver iodide would cause supercooled water in the storm to freeze, disrupting the inner structure of the hurricane. This led to the seeding of several Atlantic hurricanes. However, it was later shown that this hypothesis was incorrect. In reality, it was determined most hurricanes do not contain enough supercooled water for cloud seeding to be effective. Additionally, researchers found that unseeded hurricanes often undergo the same structural changes that were expected from seeded hurricanes. This finding called Stormfury’s successes into question, as the changes reported now had a natural explanation.

The last experimental flight was flown in 1971, due to a lack of candidate storms and a changeover in NOAA’s fleet. More than a decade after the last modification experiment, Project Stormfury was officially canceled. Although a failure in its goal of reducing the destructiveness of hurricanes, Project Stormfury was not without merit. The observational data and storm lifecycle research generated by Stormfury helped improve meteorologists’ ability to forecast the movement and intensity of future hurricanes.

Document Archive

Project Stormfury – Operation Order No. 1-70 [165 Pages, 5.25MB] – Two basic experiments have been proposed for Project STORMFURY operations 1969. In the Eyewall Experiment, seeding and monitoring of the changes in the structure and circulation of a well-developed hurricane will be attempted, if nature provides the proper storm at the right time and place. Hurricane seeding will be done at two-hour intervals over an eight-hour period. The rainband experiment consists of four primary objectives: namely, (1) Conduct a detailed, dynamic and thermodynamic investigation of the rainband; (2) Carry out seeding experiments to determine if the basic character of the rainband can be changed by seeding; (3) study the role the rainband plays in the total storm structure; and (4) investigate how its modification might affect the total behavior of the storm.

Project Stormfury – Operation Order No. 1-70 [150 Pages, 1.59MB] – The report is the basic directive for the conduct of several types of hurricane/weather modification experiments, utilizing aircraft from the Navy, Air Force and ESSA for STORMFURY operations. These research operations will be initiated, following a dry run training exercise, when a hurricane meets specific scientific and operational criteria.

 Project Stormfury ANNUAL REPORT, 1969 – Published May 1970 [116 Pages, 6.41MB] – Project STORMFURY is a joint ESSA-Navy program of scientific experiments designed to explore the structure and dynamics of tropical storms and hurricanes and their potential for modification. It was established in 1962 with the principal objective of testing a physical model of the hurricane’s energy exchange by strategic seeding with silver iodide crystals. These crystals have been dispensed by Navy aircraft using Navy-developed special pyrotechnic devices. The hypothesis calls for reducing the maximum intensity of a storm or hurricane by a measurable amount. Navy and ESSA scientists and aircraft, supplemented by those of the U.S. Air Force, have cooperated in STORMFURY experimental operations since 1962 when the Project began. Until 1969, one mature hurricane (Beulah, 1963) and two series of tropical cumulus clouds (August 1963 and July-August 1965) had been experimentally seeded in the western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea.

 Project Stormfury ANNUAL REPORT, 1970 – Published May 1971 [169 Pages, 8.96MB] – Project STORMFURY is a joint Department of Commerce (NOAA) – Department of Defense (Navy) program of scientific experiments designed to explore the structure and dynamics of tropical cyclones and their potential for modification. The Project which was formally established in 1962 has as its principal objective experimentation directed towards changing the hurricane’s energy exchange by strategic seeding from aircraft with silver iodide crystals. The crystals are dispensed from pyrotechnic devices developed by the U. S. Navy. The hypothesis calls for a measurable decrease in the maximum wind velocities near the center of the storm. Navy and NOAA scientists and aircraft, supplemented by those of the U.S. Air Force, have cooperated in STORMFURY experimental operations since 1962 when the Project began. The 1970 hurricane season produced no tropical cyclones which were eligible for seeding experiments. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, the 1970 season was undoubtedly the most productive research period for Project STORMFURY to date.

Video Archive

The post Project Stormfury first appeared on The Black Vault.

Research in support of the NWC weather modification program; Progress in engineering weather modification experiments by computer modelling; Project STORMFURY operations-1967; Flight studies of glaciation in clouds at -4 to -6C; Office of Naval Research program in weather modification.

Document Archive

 A Summary of the U.S. Navy Program and FY 1967 Progress in Weather Modification and Control, 1967 [19 Pages, 2.6MB]

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The post A Summary of the U.S. Navy Program and FY 1967 Progress in Weather Modification and Control, 1967 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Weather modding is the act of intentionally manipulating or altering the weather. The most common form of weather modification is cloud seeding to increase rain or snow, usually for the purpose of increasing the local water supply.

Weather modification can also have the goal of preventing damaging weather, such as hail or hurricanes, from occurring; or of provoking damaging weather against the enemy, as a tactic of military or economic warfare.

Weather modification in warfare has been banned by the United Nations.

Declassified Documents

 Operational Defenses through Weather Control in 2030, April 2009 [44 Pages, 1.0MB] – The United States needs to incorporate the defense against directed energy weapons with the same intensity used developing anti-ballistic missile defenses. One of the major drawbacks to optical or directed energy systems is the inability to penetrate clouds or dense fog. Advances in technology are beginning to bring weather phenomena under our control. Greatly increased computing power and micronized delivery systems will allow us to create specific perturbations in local atmospheric conditions. These perturbations allow for the immediate and lasting ability to create localized fog or stratus cloud formations shielding critical assets against attack from energy based weapons. The future of nanotechnology will enable creation of stratus cloud formations to defeat DEW and optically targeted attacks on United Sates assets. The solution the weather control problem involves networked miniature balloons feeding and receiving data from a four-dimensional variation (4d-Var) computer model through a sensor and actor network. A network of diamond-walled balloons enters the area to be changed and then both measures and affects localized temperature and vapor content. This system effectively shortens the control loop of an atmospheric system to the point it can be managed. The capabilities in the diamond-walled balloons are based on the future of nanotechnology

 Benign Weather Modification, by BARRY B. COBLE, MAJOR, USAF, May 1997 [43 Pages, 1.90MB] – Weather modification is a technology once embraced by the United States (US) military as a tool to help both wartime and peacetime missions. However, interest in the ability to modify weather has waned over recent years and is now nearly nonexistent. This study examines one aspect of weather modification, benign weather modification (BWM), for possible use in assisting military operations.

 Rain Generating and Hail Preventing Rockets, 1996 [6 Pages, 1.18MB]

 SPACECAST 2020. Volume II, June 1994 [31 Pages, 3.5MB] – This paper proposes a counferforce weather control system (with both space and ground based segments) and identifies the prerequisites necessary for such a system to be feasible. Atmospheric scientists have pursued terrestrial weather modification in
earnest since the 1940s, but have made little progress because of scientific complexities, legal battles, social concerns, and the intricacies of control at the local, national, and international governmental levels. Developing a space-based weather control system for military applications enormously compounds this already difficult problem The costs and risks are extremely high However, the potential benefits to military powers are even higher; subsequently, military powers will periodically be inspired to investigate the feasibility of a weather control system. (Note: This document was classified entirely for many years, and in January of 2014, requested again for its release. In June of 2016, Maxwell Air Force Base finally released it. Although redacted in parts, it is now available.)

 Under the Protection of Artificial Fog, 1993 [11 Pages, 5.77MB]

 Weather Modification: The Ultimate Weapon? April 1993 [30 Pages, 1.70MB] – Weather modification. The very words conjure up an Image of quackery, charlatanism and trickery. Attempts to control or alter the weather are almost as old as civilization itself, ranging from the incantations of ancient priests, through the famous rain dances of North American Indians, to modern computer-supported experimentation and modeling. Yet, in spite of this long history, the credibility of these techniques has always remained rather low, due principally to the inherent problem of verifying results. However, while many obstacles remain to be overcome, considerable technological and scientific progress in weather modification has been made since the Second World War, to the point where it deserves serious consideration, especially in light of the potentially catastrophic consequences of its use.

 The Artificial Clouds in the Earth’s Atmosphere, 5 February 1988 [11 Pages, 1.92MB]

 Proceedings of International Workshop on Atmospheric Icing of Structures (1st) Held at Hanover, New Hampshire on 1-3 June 1982 [361 Pages, 23.2MB] – The accumulation of ice in its various forms on structures has long been recognized as a significant and costly problem for both industry and government world-wide. The purpose of this First International Workshop on Atmospheric Icing of Structures was to bring together scientists, engineers and managers from industrial and military organizations from around the world that have an interest in the accretion of ice on structures. The presumption underlying the use of ‘First’ in the title of the workshop is that this meeting would demonstrate the need for continued exchange of ideas, of reports of work accomplished and of future plans, and further identification of research areas requiring particular attention. The 39 papers from 10 countries presented at the workshop were organized into four technical sessions representing the various aspects of structural ice accretion studies underway. Topics included: Basic research; Physics of ice accretion; Simulation and modeling; Design-oriented research; Meteorological measurements and damage observations; and Iceload measurements and design practices.

 Large Scale Effects of Cloud Seeding. 1970-71 Season and Four Year Summary, October 1971 [166 Pages, 6.1MB]

 The Project Skyfire Cloud-Seeding Generator, 1957 [19 Pages, 1.01MB]

Project Foggy Cloud

Foggy Cloud I was a series of experiments in observation, modification, and treatment of fog and stratus clouds conducted at or near the Arcata-Eureka airport, Humboldt County, Calif., from late March through mid- November 1968. A wide range of propsective seeding agents, including smokes, liquids, and powders, that were thought to offer promise for stabilization or clearance of fog were systematically screened by ground-based and airborne dissemination. The major emphasis was placed upon the elimination of fog rather than upon simply improving visibility. Those agents showing enough identifiable effects to indicate promise were investigated in detail and improved upon. Observations were made of fog characteristics, visual effects, changes in cloud physics parameters, and of the fallout from the fog. Hygroscopic smokes were found useful for intensifying, stabilizing, and forming fog and stratus. Hygroscopic powders, including sodium chloride, urea, and calcium chloride, were tried. Of these, calcium chloride showed the most promise, but testing was not completed. Hygroscopic liquids showed the most immediate results, and successful tests were made with ammonium nitrate in solution. In October, a solution consisting of ammonium nitrate, urea, and water was developed that was used in several very successful field trials.

 Project Foggy Cloud [89 Pages, 4.77mb]

Project Gulf Q

Project Gulf Q was conducted 11 through 28 May 1969 at Brownsville, Tex. The objective was to study the modification of warm tropical cumulus clouds by seeding them with hygroscopic solutions that had exhibited considerable warm cloud modification potential. These solutions were sprayed from aircraft on all of the 16 tests completed during the project period. Effects attributable to this treatment were observed in all tests. When cloud growth occurred afterseeding, there were frequently marked increases in liquid water content and turbulence, especially in the upper half of the target cloud. On five tests the seeded clouds completely dissipated within 5 to10 minutes after treatment.

 Project Gulf Q a Study of Maritime Cumulus Modification [30 Pages, 1mb]

The post Artificial Clouds / Weather Modification first appeared on The Black Vault.

Ball lightning is a debated and controversial atmospheric electrical phenomenon. The term refers to reports of luminous, usually spherical objects which vary from pea-sized to several meters in diameter. It is sometimes associated with thunderstorms, but lasts considerably longer than the split-second flash of a lightning bolt.

Document Archive

  Ball Lightning Study [71 Pages, 1MB]

  Problem of Ball Lightning [352 Pages, 9MB]

The post Ball Lightning first appeared on The Black Vault.

Excerpt from the August, 1974, CIA report, entitled: Potential Implications of Trends in World Population, Food Production, and Climate.  Full document is available below.

“The widespread crop shortfalls in 1972 and the energy and fertilizer crunches in ’73 and ’74 have
raised anew the basic question of whether the production of food can keep pace with demand over the next few decades. Concern about the capability of many of the poorer countries to provide for their growing population is widespread and rising. Major international conferences planned for the second half of this year–i.e., the World Population Conference in August and the World Food Conference in November– will focus on various aspects of this question.

There is moreover, growing consensus among leading climatologists that the world is undergoing a cooling trend. If it continues, as feared, it could restrict production in both the USSR and China among other states, and could have an enormous impact, not only on the food-population balance, but also on the world balance of power.

This paper briefly reviews present trends and projections for world population and food production under assumptions of “normal” weather, and then essays a necessarily tentative exploration of the ramifications of a cooling climate. A final section address the political and other implications for the US of its potential role as the main food exporter in an increasingly hungry world.”

Document Archive

Potential Implications of Trends in World Population, Food Production, and Climate, August 1974 [60 Pages, 8.98MB]

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