Optimizing Aerosol Composition in Hygroscopic Burn-in-Place Flares: Advancing Cloud Seeding and Precipitation Enhancement

SWAFUVA SULAIMAN, Kurt Hibert, James Simmons, Hamed Sadi, Amir Nazem, Suryadev Singh, Andrei Vakhtin, Bruce Boe, Jesse Anderson, Charlie Harper, Raymond Shaw, Will Cantrell, Michigan Technological University

     Abstract Number: 306
     Working Group: Aerosol Chemistry

Abstract
Understanding the relative abundance and contribution of each element in hygroscopic burn-in-place flares is essential to evaluate their effectiveness in cloud seeding applications. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies, coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, offer a powerful approach to perform size distribution analysis, chemical characterization of the flares, and quantitative assessment of the elemental composition of cloud seeding flare residues. By correlating the measured weight percentages from spectral analysis with theoretical stoichiometric calculations, it becomes possible to evaluate the incorporation and balance of key hygroscopic elements. Furthermore, EDX chemical mapping provides valuable insights into the spatial and size-dependent distribution of these elements. Such detailed characterization allows for a better understanding of how aerosol hygroscopicity is influenced by their mixing state. This study focuses on flares containing calcium chloride as the primary hygroscopic agent and highlights how effectively the seeding agent contributes to the hygroscopic burning of the flares that act as Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN). This study also addresses the contribution to hygroscopicity when the seeding material exists as a mixture of species. These findings help to optimize and quantify the effectiveness of seeding flares in hygroscopic seeding and their ultimate impact on weather modification strategies.