New research has found that climate change is making hurricanes wetter than before. This is no news to us, as we have watched hurricane after hurricane ravage the United States. Our hope lies in weather modification, which involves using various tools to control or manipulate the weather. China is the leader, as it has already invented a device called the “tianhe,” which will move water vapor from one area of the country to another. In this project, satellites will be helping to move water vapor from a damp region to a more arid region. If successful, this can mean that we can potentially move water vapor away from hurricane-prone areas.
Climate Change Worsens Hurricanes
Research suggests that climate change and people’s infrastructure-related activities affected hurricanes. These factors might have made Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Katrina, and Maria more severe and wet. In various analyses of Hurricane Harvey, reports showed that 15% or more of the rainfall might have been caused by global warming. The study even predicts that the storms will be more wet in a warmer world.
China Tianhe Project
To manipulate the weather, China is opening its “tianhe” project, a new high-tech weather control system that literally means “Sky River.” As early as 2022, a network of six satellites can potentially take part in a man-made air corridor above the country, shifting rain clouds towards the Tibetan plateau. The goal is to move water vapor from the west, the more damp area of the country, to the north, the more dry area of the country. Thus, this project can potentially provide water for 1.4 billion people. Consequently, if it succeeds, it can strengthen China’s economy and its ability to master the weather.
In contrast, traditional methods of weather modification have included cloud seeding. Cloud seeding involves spraying small particles of silver iodide to affect the development of clouds. However, the results of cloud seeding are mixed, with contrasting opinions between experts.
If taken one step further, the ability to control the weather can mean no more hurricanes, or alternatively it can mean that the movie Geostorm might turn into a reality. If whoever controls the weather controls the world, then China is on its way.
