Recent online reports have surfaced after government research centers are silently working on building an artificial mountain in the UAE. The said project's goal was on getting rainfall, instead of waiting for the rains to come.
Newsweek reports of funding received by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research last year, which is set to put a man-made mountain in an undisclosed location in the UAE. The principle banks on the attempt to "force" air to cool and condense then to ultimately form rain clouds.
National Center for Atmospheric Research experts are currently working on the project's early stages. Known as cloud seeding, the process is not a new concept. However, as there were occurrences of heavy rainfall in the area recently, the idea may cause some worry in the midst of good intentions.
NCAR weather modification programs expert Roelof Bruintjes said that the team is studying the effects on the weather as to the mountain type and other characteristics. The team would be releasing an initial status update as soon as possible.
Bruintjes added that should the artificial mountain project proved costly for the government to push through, at least it would have given some insight already in terms of alternatives to combat extreme weather changes, moving forward. He hopes that if it proceeds, the next step would be to partner with an engineering company and check whether it is doable or not.
According to Nature World News, the UAE has considerably spent up to $558,000 already in cloud seeding as of 2015. Bruintjes also said that the NCAR is finalizing the assimilation of the artificial mountain's dimensions as well as local weather conditions.
Still another aspect that the team is looking into is that though the artificial mountain may have the capability to produce rain at any given time, it would have the tendency to limit the natural rain-making process. Chances are, regions or land space on the other side of the mountain would have less exposure to rainfall. It seems that playing with forces of nature could still lead to an unfair advantage.
