Atmospheric Research

• The new weather model now generates the most accurate global weather forecasts through innovative deep learning and data techniques.
• The model also surpassed the gold-standard for traditional physics-based weather modeling, known as numerical weather prediction (NWP), held by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF)’s medium-range model (ENS).
• As extreme weather becomes more frequent and severe in the wake of climate change, demand for more accurate forecasts is growing.
• WindBorne is revolutionizing end-to-end weather intelligence by fusing the power of essential, proprietary data with unprecedentedly accurate, operation-ready forecasts.

• Growing Adoption of Hygroscopic Seeding Agents:
  One of the key trends in the cloud seeding market is the increasing adoption of hygroscopic seeding agents.
• Focus on Western Countries for Cloud Seeding Operations:
  Another trend observed in the cloud seeding market is the increasing focus on Western countries for cloud seeding operations.
• By Method of Cloud Seeding: Ground-based Cloud Seeding (dominating), Airborne Cloud Seeding, Remote Cloud Seeding, Hygroscopic Cloud Seeding, Ice Nucleation Cloud Seeding, Silver Iodide Cloud Seeding, Others
  Ground-based cloud seeding is expected to be the dominating method of cloud seeding.
• Airborne cloud seeding, which involves the use of aircraft for cloud seeding, and remote cloud seeding using drones or unmanned aircraft, also present potential market opportunities.

• Reliable like a clock, its apparent passage across the sky allows us to measure time.
• The Sun and its path is also the source of Earth’s seasons.
• But in many respects, our Sun is far from calm and unchanging.
• Activity from the Sun that affects our planet is often referred to as “space weather”.

Timing matters

• Nasa and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been creating these for many years.
• This approach has yielded a date for the next solar maximum (the peak) of around July 2025.
• This peak was also forecast to be relatively weak, like the maximum during the previous solar cycle.
• What’s interesting is that many prediction methods rely on timing the length of a cycle measured by the minimum (lowest point) of solar activity.

In the line of fire

• As the Sun releases vast amounts of energy as flares and other events that eject material into space, there is a chance that some will hit Earth if we are in the line of fire.
• It also forces solar particles to move in a way dictated by Earth’s magnetic fields.

• These occur when solar particles reach the high atmosphere and “excite” atoms there, causing them to move to a high energy state.
• As the atoms relax, they emit light in different colours – for example as reds, greens and blues.
• Solar activity can cause power surges in the long transmission lines used in electrical grids.
• When solar activity grows stronger, it’s more likely that a solar storm could strike us, causing electrical problems on satellites.

• We are also expanding our technology into space – technology which is vulnerable if we don’t monitor space weather and its source, the Sun.
• Electrical grids are being designed to be less prone to power surges and satellites are being designed to better ride out space weather.
• Experts already keep a detailed log of past observations and are constantly extending their ways of observing the Sun and space weather using satellites.

Daniel Brown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• During the conversation, Dr. Yao emphasized the vital need for synchronization, positioning and timing to achieve satellite to mobile communications.
• He said, “This is important so that you don’t lose valuable bandwidth.
• Prior to this, he worked at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. National Geodetic Survey (NGS) for several years.
• He is also a guest editor for a special issue of GPS Solutions – “timekeeping in space.”