Project STORMFURY, Atlantic weather modification : environmental impact statement.

Atlantic Ocean, with operations based out of Miami, Puerto Rico, or BermudaComplete

Project STORMFURY was an experiment aimed at reducing the intensity of hurricanes by seeding them with silver iodide. The idea was to weaken the storms by redistributing their wind energy, potentially reducing the damage they cause. The project was primarily conducted in the Atlantic Ocean, with operations based out of Miami, Puerto Rico, or Bermuda. The goal was to test if this method could effectively lower hurricane wind speeds by 10-15%. While the project showed some promise, it also faced challenges due to the natural variability of hurricanes and the difficulty in measuring the exact impact of the seeding.

Year

1978

Department

United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Historical Context

Project STORMFURY was proposed in response to the devastating impact of hurricanes on coastal communities, with the aim of finding a method to mitigate their destructive power. The project faced skepticism from some scientists and environmentalists who questioned the efficacy and potential unintended consequences of weather modification. Ultimately, while some experiments showed promise, the project was discontinued due to the challenges in achieving consistent results and the inherent unpredictability of hurricane behavior.

Notable Quotes

  • "The maximum wind speeds are reduced due to the above effects and to the decreased temperature gradients." — Seeding Hypothesis – Section II
  • "The seeding of hurricanes should not have any effect on the hurricane-spawned severe storms." — Effects of Seeding on Associated Severe Storms – Section III

Key People and Groups

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • Department of Defense (DOD)
  • United States Weather Bureau
  • Project STORMFURY personnel
Attribution
Materials published by the U.S. Government Printing Office are in the public domain and, as such, not subject to copyright restriction. However, the Libraries request users to cite the URL and Northwestern University Libraries if they wish to reproduce images from this site.

Themes

Climate and Weather Modification

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