Patent No: WO 2008/072227A1 Hurricane Mitigation Seeding Condensation Freezing Nuclei

Hurricane mitigation by combined seeding with condensation and freezing nuclei

The invention provides method for treating a tropical cyclone, a tropical storm or a tropical depression. The method includes reducing unloading of cloud parcel water in the tropical cyclone, tropical storm or tropical depression. In a preferred embodiment, unloading of cloud parcel water is accomplished by seeding with cloud condensation nuclei, such as sub-micron ammonium sulfate particles. The treatment is preferably applied to the lower parts of peripheral clouds in the tropical cyclone, tropical storm or tropical depression below the 0 C isotherm level.

Hurricane mitigation was attempted in the framework of project STORMFURY by the US government (Willoughby et al., 1985). Project STORMFURY was an experimental program of research on hurricane modification carried out between 1962 and 1983 which attempted to develop hurricane mitigation techniques