Is it possible to create man-made clouds?

Question

If so, what kind can we create? How long do they last? Could this be feasibly done on a big enough scale to reflect light from the sun thereby reducing total global warming? (a temporary bandaid)

Answer 1

That process is called "cloud seeding" and can be used (along with other methods) as a "temporary bandaid". An interesting Boston Globe article on cloud seeding can be found here: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2005/07/03/dont_like_the_weather_change_it/

Answer 2

we create clouds all the time by taking a hot bath or shower. Ok it is a small scale clouds as such but steam rising to condense again is technically a "cloud".
To create clouds on the scale you suggest as a temporary fix to global warming would require more energy than is feasible, and, at a cost of raised carbon emission (co2) into the atmosphere. This would in fact cause an increase in global warming more than the new clouds would reduce it.. Nice idea though!

Answer 3

Clouds are in essence a mass of water vapor mixed together with dust. To an extent human polution already contributes to the formation of clouds. The thing is, global warming has more to do with heat being trapped in the atmosphere rather than additional energies from the sun striking the earth. To really reduce global warming you would need to create a cloud that covers the earth for a period of months, if not years. The good news is that we can in fact create such a cloud. The bad news is that it would take a nuclear war to do it.

Personally I think a better answer to global warming is alternative fuels.

Answer 4

Cloud seeding (making clouds) is a pretty old technology, and used to be done to try to create rain clouds before the atmosphere got hot, humid, and unstable enough to create hailstorms that could damage crops. All you've got to do is get little bits of dust into humid air to get clouds (people used to even shoot cannons off to get them going). My impression is that this would not be too helpful for global warming, since it's a pretty local project--I would assume that creating clouds in one place would just make fewer clouds somewhere else.

Answer 5

I have heard about this or a similar theory to do so to effect the weather and possibly reduce hurricanes.

Apparently, we would not even have enough energy to make an impact if we used an atomic bomb. To create a cloud in the scale necessary to make an impact is aparently not possible. It was called "project stormfury."

Heard this on Dr. Bill Watenberg's show

Answer 6

The exhaust vapors from aircraft are like man-made clouds. They block out the sun and lower the temperature.
Search for global dimming if you want to read more.

Answer 7

Yes, its called cloud seeding. They drop dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) from planes. The clouds form and it rains, but they don't last long. And don't ask me how - it sounds a bit like black magic and witchcraft to me...

Answer 8

Artificial rain called 'cloud seeding'. This can be used for Forest fire fighting.

Answer 9

Wow I give you an A+ for the most creative question!

Answer 10

Yeah I think it is possible.

It's probebly very elaborate...