Cloud-seeding trial on Muz Taw Glacier cuts summer ice loss by up to 17%

Scientists conducted a cloud-seeding field test on Muz Taw Glacier in August 2018, deploying fourteen solar-driven silver-iodide smoke generators installed by the local meteorological service. When suitable clouds were detected by a radar at Jimunai Meteorological Station, the generators released particles that helped atmospheric moisture form snow, which fell on the glacier’s surface. The fresh snow increased surface albedo, reaching values near 0.8 in some high-altitude spots, thereby reflecting more sunlight.

Comparing two 6-day windows before and after the seeding, the glacier’s mass balance improved from -61.4 mm to -37.2 mm water equivalent, a reduction of about 40% in melt rate and 14%-17% when accounting for natural precipitation. The study, published in The Cryosphere, estimates that artificial snowfall may have offset 42%-54% of the melt during the second period. Authors stress the preliminary nature of the findings, noting that up to 21% of the snowfall could have been natural and that sustained effectiveness depends on suitable weather conditions. They call for extended experiments to evaluate long-term impacts on glacier preservation in Central Asia.