# Can we control the weather? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2016, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532 "2016-03-10T09:40:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Potestas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@Potestas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potestas)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/21 "2016-03-11T02:36:46Z")
yes. iodine injected into clouds= rain. Proven fact ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/22 "2016-03-11T03:51:04Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > If you want water in Los Angeles it seems silly to evaporate a bunch of water from the ocean and blow the resulting clouds over to L.A. and then precipitate the water out of the atmosphere. > > What’s wrong with desalinating water from the ocean and pumping it where we want by pipeline, and then deliver to the intended uses by regular means? > > Seems a heck of a lot more energy efficient if the only point is to get more water in California. Desalination plants suck in & destroy marine species, dump concentrated/toxic salt brine into the ocean & pollute by burning fossil fuels. Other than that, they’re a great solution to the drought. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/23 "2016-03-11T07:21:00Z")
> [@Potestas](#): > > yes. iodine injected into clouds= rain. Proven fact Interesting fact: This was discovered by atmospheric scientist **Bernard Vonnegut** – Kurt’s brother. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/24 "2016-03-11T08:27:25Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Interesting fact: This was discovered by atmospheric scientist **Bernard Vonnegut** – Kurt’s brother. Yes- I’ve just read a very interesting biography about the Vonnegut Brothers. Bernard’s research was initially very promising, and there were fantasies in the 1950’s about scientific weather control and the weaponisation of weather that were eventually found to be wildly overambitious. Weather is chaotic, and with the best will in the world we will never attain precise control. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/25 "2016-03-11T13:52:39Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Could you imagine the military getting hold of the ability to do that? And a bigger question: \*Whose \*military? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/26 "2016-03-11T14:01:49Z")
> [@Potestas](#): > > yes. iodine injected into clouds= rain. Proven fact More like greatly overstated proven fact. Relatively vast amounts of iodine increase the likelihood that clouds that were about to rain already will rain slightly sooner and slightly more. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/27 "2016-03-11T14:18:11Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > More like greatly overstated proven fact. Relatively vast amounts of iodine increase the likelihood that clouds that were about to rain already will rain slightly sooner and slightly more. It takes a mess of energy to even get enough water vapor in the air to form the cloud. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/28 "2016-03-11T15:37:05Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > Clearly you have not heard of the **Halliburton Hurricane Machine** , which can create massive Hurricanes and then point them directly to a major coastal city thereby creating massive damage and pain. > > It has been put away in storage now, but will soon be back (renamed of course) as soon as the next Republican is in the White house. > [@Colibri](#): > > **Moderator Warning** > > **davida03801** , I’m sure you are aware that political jabs are not permitted in GQ since you’ve been warned for it several times before. This is another. Don’t do this again or you may find your posting privileges under discussion. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator I’ll defend \*\*davida03801 \*\*on this one. This seems to be more a jab at conspiracy theorists (who definitely have a major fooferaw with weather control) than a political jab. (And I’m a Republican!) ---
**Author:** ![Aestivalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aestivalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aestivalis)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/29 "2016-03-13T16:03:16Z")
I wonder if mass scale ultrasonic humidification could drive more water into the air off the coast of California, hopefully to some significant effect. You would have to deal with tons of salt dust though. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/30 "2016-03-13T16:26:17Z")
Barnacles reproduce by just simply releasing their gametes into the water and hoping they mix well enough to make new barnacles. It’s icky enough just to touch ocean water, not sure we want to be ejaculating that stuff into the air. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/31 "2016-03-13T17:57:16Z")
What does that have to do with controlling the weather? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/32 "2016-03-13T23:04:24Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > What does that have to do with controlling the weather? All the barnacle particles could be the condensation points for rain to form around? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/33 "2016-03-14T00:21:08Z")
It’s relevant to the previous post about atomizing seawater to increase humidity. You don’t want to do that if the seawater is gross. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/34 "2016-03-14T02:05:35Z")
The problem with controlling the weather is that clouds, winds and other weather effects have a HUGE volume. Picture trying to heat a building the size of an entire town and a few \*\*hundred \*\*stories tall (and I’m pretty sure that’s underestimating it). I remember reading about a study that was done to see if large scale nukes could disperse a hurricane which concluded that even the most powerful weapons in existence would have no noticeable effect ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/35 "2016-03-14T03:03:26Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Barnacles reproduce by just simply releasing their gametes into the water and hoping they mix well enough to make new barnacles. It’s icky enough just to touch ocean water, not sure we want to be ejaculating that stuff into the air. > [@Senegoid](#): > > All the barnacle particles could be the condensation points for rain to form around? OK so what is the dew point of barnacle jizz? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/36 "2016-03-14T07:23:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s relevant to the previous post about atomizing seawater to increase humidity. You don’t want to do that if the seawater is gross. I see! Well, as **watchwolf49** is so squicked out at the thought of sperm floating around in the air, I hope he never learns what pollen is. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/37 "2016-03-14T08:07:07Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > OK so what is the dew point of barnacle jizz? It’s just above the milting point. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/38 "2016-03-14T22:31:24Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > It’s just above the milting point. Awesome! Ten points to Gryffindor! ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/39 "2016-03-14T23:38:47Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > I see! Well, as **watchwolf49** is so squicked out at the thought of sperm floating around in the air, I hope he never learns what pollen is. 😃 [ker-sneeze] Yes, I know what [ker-sneeze ker-sneeze] pollen is [ker-sneeze] … it’s Spring [ker-sneeze] ya-know … ryegrass [ker-sneeze] is having sex right now [ker-sneeze]. Just the rain in a hurricane generates 6.0 x 10[sup]14[/sup] Watts, or 200 times the total electrical generating capacity world-wide ([NOAA citation](http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/D7.html)), TNT produces 4 x 10[sup]6[/sup] J per kg, or around 4 x 10[sup]16[/sup] J per 10 metric megatons. Assuming a nuke take one second to do it’s thing that’s almost 100 times the power. Where we detonate the nuke, the hurricane will be _significantly_ disrupted … however it would just be a small area within the hurricane and it won’t last very long. 100 times the power but for just that one second, an hour later we wouldn’t be able to tell. For reference, the Earth receives about 3.8 x 10[sup]22[/sup] Watts of power from the sun. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532/40 "2016-03-14T23:46:22Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > It’s just above the milting point. Bravo!!! Well played Good Sir! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-control-the-weather/748532.md?page=3)