International - Globescan   

Artificial snowfall

Ian Sample

Chinese weather experts claim to have triggered the first artificial snow showers by releasing tiny particles into clouds over the Tibetan plateau. The experiment was hailed as a success for the drought-stricken region, where freshwater lakes are drying up as warmer temperatures force thousands of glaciers into rapid retreat. A spokesman for the Tibet meteorological office said artificial snowfall was created by seeding the clouds with particles of silver iodide. The fine particles encourage the formation of ice crystals in the clouds, which grow until they fall as snowflakes. The state news agency, Xinhua, said the snow reached a depth of 1cm and accumulated on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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