Cloud seeding: data

This synthesised rainfall dataset 1960-2005 is an output of an ARC Linkage Project, 2005-2009, which builds on an ongoing collaboration between Monash University researchers with Hydro Tasmania. Steven Siems, Anthony Morrison (Monash University) and Alex Nazarov (Hydro Tasmania) collected the data while Michael Manton(Monash University) has collaborated with analysis and publishing of data in publications. The historical context worked very well. The data was very easily accessible. Researchers looked at the surface rainfall from the Bureau of Meteorology network of weather stations across Tasmania. Surface rainfall data was supplemented with the rain gauge records (including high country) from Hydro Tasmania. A simple statistical analysis on the monthly rainfall data and the periods of cloud seeding resulted in the conclusion that there was an improvement in the monthly rainfall. It was a statistically significant result in relation to 46 years of data. The second part of the project involved a meteorological investigation where researchers flew on the aircraft to undertake case studies by trying to simulate the right environment and learn from the conditions which they observed. There was also analysis of further datasets: radar data from the Bureau of Meteorology, satellite data and aircraft data related to cloud seeding, aircraft observation and surface observation.