Ice particle formation in clouds subjected to firing from a prototype hail cannon: laboratory simulation experiments

Weather modification using hail cannons is considered a cost-effective method for hail mitigation by farmers.However, this method has not yet been supported by conclusive scientific evidence.Our laboratory experiments showed that firing a prototype hail cannon or high-intensity sound pulse into a cloud promotes the formation of ice crystals, suggesting that the impact of shockwave/soundwave effectively promotes ice nucleation within a mixed-phase cloud.These findings show that acoustic methods, including hail cannon shockwaves and sound vibrations, can transform supercooled droplets into ice crystals, providing a cost-effective and efficient approach to mitigate hail damage.