Application of Seeding Effect Analysis Software for Convective Cloud Rainfall Enhancement with Radar Products

Seeding effect analysis software for convective cloud rainfall enhancement with radar products has been designed and developed incorporating a method that selects the contrast cloud automatically and analyzes the seeding effect according to the radar echo parameters. Using this software, the effects of 12 pairs of convective precipitation enhancement operation experiments during 2008 in Hubei Province were evaluated. The results indicated that seeding had a good effect in ten cases. The relevant parameters of the seeded cloud changed obviously after the operation; the echo intensity, echo tops, vertically integrated liquid, and echo area increased, reaching a peak half an hour after operation. However, the contrast clouds increased less than the target cloud or stopped developing, and most of the contrast clouds had a shorter lifetime. Finally, the parameters of Doppler weather radar products applicable to precipitation enhancement for basic operation stations that were proven to be effective in practice were selected through comprehensive analysis.