image: Cloud and rainfall enhancement over a jojoba plantation in the coastal desert of Oman. Contour colours show atmopheric heating (watts per square meter), wind vectors show winds at 10 m height above ground (unscaled), with vectors colors showing temperature at 2 m height above ground (Kelvins). Black vectors are updrafts and downdrafts associated with the development of a convective cell. Liquid-phase clouds are grey-silver and rainfall is shown as blue-turquoise. view more
Credit: Image courtesy of Oliver Branch
Researchers report that a model simulation of 100 km2 plantations of desert-hardy jojoba shrub in the deserts of Israel and Oman shows that, under appropriate atmospheric conditions, such plantations can initiate convection and enhance rainfall; the simulations also help establish a Global Feedback Index that evaluates the suitability of desert environments for this method of precipitation enhancement and bio-geoengineering, according to the authors.
Article #19-04754: " Deliberate enhancement of rainfall using desert plantations," by Oliver Branch and Volker Wulfmeyer.
MEDIA CONTACT: Oliver Branch, University of Hohenheim, GERMANY; e-mail: oliver_branch@uni-hohenheim.de
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Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences