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How does ultraviolet light affect silver iodide ice nuclei?
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weather modification
Cloud seeding can produce an extra 5 to 15% of precipitation.
In the context of weather modification, silver iodide is a widely used agent for seeding supercooled clouds to encourage the formation of ice crystals. However, its effectiveness is significantly limited by exposure to ultraviolet light.1
When silver iodide particles are exposed to ultraviolet radiation, they undergo rapid deactivation. This process reduces the concentration of active ice nuclei, with research indicating that the number of effective nuclei may decrease by a factor of approximately 10 for every hour of exposure to such light. Because of this sensitivity, the timing and method of delivery are critical factors in the success of cloud-seeding operations.1