Latest news with #Rainmaker
TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Rainmaker partners with Atmo to squeeze more rain from clouds
Cloud seeding startup Rainmaker is partnering with Atmo, an AI-powered meteorology startup, the companies exclusively told TechCrunch. The two operate on complementary ends of the weather system: Atmo studies atmospheric patterns to forecast weather events, while Rainmaker digests such data in an attempt to squeeze more precipitation out of weather systems. Under the partnership, Atmo will use its deep learning models to help Rainmaker identify clouds that have potential for seeding. The forecasting startup will also offer Rainmaker's cloud seeding services, deployed via small drones, to its customers. For its part, Rainmaker will contribute data from its proprietary radar system to determine how much rain the clouds produced. Rainmaker has been in the news of late, targeted by conspiracy theorists who claim that the startup's cloud seeding operations in Texas played a role in recent floods in the state. But according to several scientists TechCrunch spoke with, that's simply not possible. 'Somebody is looking for somebody to blame,' Bob Rauber, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois, told TechCrunch last week. Techcrunch event Save up to $475 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $450 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW Though cloud seeding can nudge clouds to drop more precipitation, it's a small amount compared with the size of a storm. One well-documented case in Idaho released an additional 186 million gallons of precipitation, which pales in comparison with the 'trillions of gallons of water' a large storm will process, Rauber said. Cloud seeding is widely used throughout the Western United States, mostly to augment snowpack and boost the amount of water that ends up in reservoirs in the summer. While it's also used in places like West Texas to coax more rain from summer storms, the results have been modest. The West Texas Weather Modification Association, which Rainmaker has worked with previously, says that cloud seeding in the region has boosted precipitation by about 15%, or about two inches, per year. The likely reason for that is because the types of clouds floating over West Texas don't respond in the same way as clouds in mountainous regions like the Western U.S., Rauber said. Rainstorms are even less responsive, he added, since they're already primed to drop plenty of precipitation.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
A cloud seeding startup did not cause the Texas floods
In the wake of a disaster, it's not uncommon for people to look for answers anywhere they can find them. The devastating floods in Texas are no exception. There are many potential reasons why so many people were killed by the swiftly rising waters, but one that some people have settled on is a practice known as cloud seeding. They claim that a cloud seeding startup known as Rainmaker caused the storm to drop more rain than it otherwise would have. However, the data does not back up their concerns. It's true that Rainmaker was operating in that area a few days before the storm, but despite the online chatter, 'cloud seeding had nothing to do' with the floods, said Katja Friedrich, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder. 'It's just a complete conspiracy theory. Somebody is looking for somebody to blame,' Bob Rauber, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois, told TechCrunch. Cloud seeding is nothing new. It has been practiced since the 1950s, Rauber said. It works by spraying small particles into clouds, usually made of silver iodide. Silver iodide particles mimic the shape of ice crystals, so when they bump into super-cooled water droplets — water that remains liquid below the freezing point — they trigger the droplets to freeze into ice. That freezing is important, Rauber said. Ice crystals grow in size faster than super-cooled water drops, meaning they are more likely to capture enough water vapor to become large enough to fall out of the cloud. If they had remained as super-cooled water, there's a good chance they would eventually evaporate. Only clouds that have a sufficient amount of super-cooled water are good candidates for cloud seeding. In the U.S., most cloud seeding occurs in the winter near mountain ranges in the West. There, clouds form as the mountains push the air higher, causing it to cool and the water vapor to condense. If properly seeded, such clouds will release some of that water as snow, which is then held captive as snowpack, forming a natural reservoir that, during spring melts, recharges artificial reservoirs held behind dams. Though people have been seeding clouds for decades, its impact on precipitation is a newer area of study. 'We really didn't have the technologies to evaluate it until recently,' Rauber said. In early 2017, Friedrich, Rauber, and their colleagues set up shop in Idaho to perform one of the most detailed studies of cloud seeding to date. On three occasions, they seeded clouds for a total of two hours and ten minutes. It was enough to add around 186 million gallons of additional precipitation. That might sound like a lot, and for drought-stricken Western states, it can make a difference. Idaho Power seeds many clouds throughout the winter to boost the amount of water being collected behind their dams so they can generate electricity throughout the year. 'Their data shows that it's cost-effective for them,' Rauber said. But compared with a big storm, 186 million gallons is peanuts. 'When we talk about that huge storm that occurred with the flooding [in Texas], we're literally talking about the atmosphere processing trillions of gallons of water,' he said. If Rainmaker influenced the storm, it was so minuscule that it would barely have been a rounding error. But the reality is, it didn't. For starters, the company was seeding nearby clouds days before the storm hit. 'The air that was over that area two days before was probably somewhere over Canada by the time that storm occurred,' Rauber said. Second, it's not clear whether cloud seeding is as effective in the cumulus clouds that occur in Texas in the summer. They're distinct from the orographic clouds that form near mountain ranges, and they don't respond the same to cloud seeding. For one, they tend to be short-lived and don't produce a lot of precipitation. Cloud seeders might try to coax more out of them anyway, but 'the amount of rain that comes out of those seeded clouds is small,' Rauber said. Those that do last long enough? 'Clouds that are deep, like thunderstorms, the natural processes are just fine,' he said. 'Those clouds are very efficient. Seeding those clouds is not going to do anything.'
TechCrunch
4 days ago
- Science
- TechCrunch
A cloud seeding startup did not cause the Texas floods
In the wake of a disaster, it's not uncommon for people to look for answers anywhere they can find them. The devastating floods in Texas are no exception. There are many potential reasons why so many people were killed by the swiftly rising waters, but one that some people have settled on is a practice known as cloud seeding. They claim that a cloud seeding startup known as Rainmaker caused the storm to drop more rain than it otherwise would have. However, the data does not back up their concerns. It's true that Rainmaker was operating in that area a few days before the storm, but despite the online chatter, 'cloud seeding had nothing to do' with the floods, said Katja Friedrich, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder. 'It's just a complete conspiracy theory. Somebody is looking for somebody to blame,' Bob Rauber, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois, told TechCrunch. Cloud seeding is nothing new. It has been practiced since the 1950s, Rauber said. It works by spraying small particles into clouds, usually made of silver iodide. Silver iodide particles mimic the shape of ice crystals, so when they bump into super-cooled water droplets — water that remains liquid below the freezing point — they trigger the droplets to freeze into ice. That freezing is important, Rauber said. Ice crystals grow in size faster than super-cooled water drops, meaning they are more likely to capture enough water vapor to become large enough to fall out of the cloud. If they had remained as super-cooled water, there's a good chance they would eventually evaporate. Only clouds that have a sufficient amount of super-cooled water are good candidates for cloud seeding. Techcrunch event Save up to $475 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $450 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW In the U.S., most cloud seeding occurs in the winter near mountain ranges in the West. There, clouds form as the mountains push the air higher, causing it to cool and the water vapor to condense. If properly seeded, such clouds will release some of that water as snow, which is then held captive as snowpack, forming a natural reservoir that, during spring melts, recharges artificial reservoirs held behind dams. Though people have been seeding clouds for decades, its impact on precipitation is a newer area of study. 'We really didn't have the technologies to evaluate it until recently,' Rauber said. In early 2017, Friedrich, Rauber, and their colleagues set up shop in Idaho to perform one of the most detailed studies of cloud seeding to date. On three occasions, they seeded clouds for a total of two hours and ten minutes. It was enough to add around 186 million gallons of additional precipitation. That might sound like a lot, and for drought-stricken Western states, it can make a difference. Idaho Power seeds many clouds throughout the winter to boost the amount of water being collected behind their dams so they can generate electricity throughout the year. 'Their data shows that it's cost-effective for them,' Rauber said. But compared with a big storm, 186 million gallons is peanuts. 'When we talk about that huge storm that occurred with the flooding [in Texas], we're literally talking about the atmosphere processing trillions of gallons of water,' he said. If Rainmaker influenced the storm, it was so minuscule that it would barely have been a rounding error. But the reality is, it didn't. For starters, the company was seeding nearby clouds days before the storm hit. 'The air that was over that area two days before was probably somewhere over Canada by the time that storm occurred,' Rauber said. Second, it's not clear whether cloud seeding is as effective in the cumulus clouds that occur in Texas in the summer. They're distinct from the orographic clouds that form near mountain ranges, and they don't respond the same to cloud seeding. For one, they tend to be short-lived and don't produce a lot of precipitation. Cloud seeders might try to coax more out of them anyway, but 'the amount of rain that comes out of those seeded clouds is small,' Rauber said. Those that do last long enough? 'Clouds that are deep, like thunderstorms, the natural processes are just fine,' he said. 'Those clouds are very efficient. Seeding those clouds is not going to do anything.'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Did cloud seeding cause the deadly Texas floods? Report sparks outrage after disaster that killed over 100
Recent Texas floods led to conspiracy theories. These theories wrongly blamed cloud seeding company Rainmaker. Augustus Doricko, Rainmaker's founder, faced online anger. Influencers suggested cloud seeding caused the disaster. Scientists deny cloud seeding can cause such heavy rain. Rainmaker had a small operation far from the flooded area. The EPA acknowledges public concerns about geoengineering. Regulation and transparency are essential. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why are people blaming Rainmaker? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What exactly is cloud seeding? What do scientists say about the risks? What sparked the conspiracy theories? What happened during Rainmaker's Texas mission? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How has Rainmaker responded to the backlash? What is the government saying about cloud seeding and geoengineering? FAQs Over 100 people have died in a terrible flood in Texas, and conspiracy theories are once again in the news. Some people are blaming a cloud-seeding company for the heavy rain this time, but scientists strongly disagree. As people get more and more angry online, the facts about changing the weather are getting lost. Rainmaker , a cloud-seeding startup, is getting a lot of hate because conspiracy theories wrongly connected its work to the deadly floods in Texas. The argument has brought up old arguments about geoengineering and changing the Augustus Doricko established a cloud-seeding start-up in 2023, he was aware that he would have to deal with misconceptions and conspiracy theories about the technology. However, he was unprepared for the overwhelming amount of online rage he has encountered following the devastating floods in Texas that have left over 100 people dead and almost twice as many missing, as per a report by The Washington a phone interview on Wednesday, Doricko stated, "It has been constant chaos." Social media posts implying that the floods in Kerr County were a man-made calamity have focused on Doricko and his business, prominent individuals, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), former Trump adviser Michael Flynn, and other influential people, have openly suggested that cloud-seeding operations like Rainmaker's may have caused or at least contributed to the historic flood, as per a report by The Washington technique known as "cloud seeding," in which aircraft disperse dust particles through clouds to cause rain and snow, is still in its infancy. Its effects are too restricted and localized to result in anything approaching the 15 inches of rain that flooded large areas of South Central Texas over the Fourth of July to atmospheric scientists, that is not feasible. Bob Rauber, an emeritus professor of atmospheric science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has researched the technology, said, "The amount of energy involved in making storms like that is astronomical compared to anything you can do with cloud seeding." "We're talking about a very small increase on a natural process at best."Conspiracy theorists continue to use cloud seeding as a flaming explanation for natural disasters despite this. The hunt for a scapegoat has brought attention to a contentious technology that, despite scant proof of its efficacy and larger social and environmental worries about changing the weather, has attracted interest from drought-stricken Western states and dozens of nations seeking to replenish water Runge, Texas, more than 100 miles southeast of Kerr County, a single-engine aircraft operated by the start-up Rainmaker, based in El Segundo, California, flew on a cloud-seeding mission on the afternoon of July to Doricko, the mission was followed by a light drizzle that dumped less than half a centimeter of rain on the arid farms below. It released roughly 70 grams of silver iodide into a pair of clouds over the course of about 20 run was a component of a deal Rainmaker signed this spring to replenish water reservoirs and increase rainfall across cropland with the South Texas Weather Modification Association, a nonprofit organization supported by regional water management claimed that his company's meteorologists quickly canceled their operations in the region after spotting an impending storm front. Parts of Kerr County received up to 15 inches of rain by the morning of July 4 from Tropical Storm Barry's theorists on the internet seized upon the coincidence and demanded "accountability" as documents proving Rainmaker's registration to carry out weather modification projects in Texas were circulated by verified patiently answering more serious questions and participating in live audio events on X to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cloud seeding, Doricko attempted to brush off the on X with images of Rainmaker's office's exterior and its address were pushed back by natural disasters have given rise to theories about cloud seeding, with some people thinking that these events could be "chemtrails" of evil schemes to change the weather or contaminate the response, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it agrees with the concerns expressed by many Americans regarding the federal government stopped experimenting with cloud seeding in the 1980s, some investors have supported businesses like Rainmaker, which has 58 employees and raised $31 million in venture capital. Building trust will require careful regulation, oversight, and transparency; it is also annoying when online influencers try to place blame for natural According to experts, cloud seeding alone cannot produce enough rainfall to cause such widespread but certain states regulate or prohibit it. Others, particularly in the drought-prone West, actively support cloud-seeding initiatives.
CNN
5 days ago
- Business
- CNN
CEO responds to conspiracy theorists blaming him for Texas floods
CNN's Kaitlan Collins interviews Augustus Doricko, CEO and founder of a cloud seeding company called Rainmaker, after he says he was targeted by conspiracy theorists online in the aftermath of the devastating floods in central Texas.
