항공 구름관측 레이더를 활용한 인공강우 실험효과 분석 = Analysis of the Cloud Seeding Effect Using an Airborne Cloud-Observation Radar

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The verification of the cloud seeding effect is a popular research topic worldwide. To directly observe changes in seeded clouds, an airborne cloud-observation radar was installed on a weather aircraft. This study analyzed the observational characteristics of airborne cloud radar based on cloud seeding experiments conducted in South Korea. Two cloud observation methods were considered: the conventional single-direction observation and a multi-directional approach that considers for wind direction change during the experiment. To compare the observation performance of the airborne radar, ground-based weather radar data before and after the experiments and changes in the radar cloud characteristics during the numerical simulation were analyzed. The radar reflectivity increased by approximately 10 dBZ in the seeded clouds compared with their state before the experiment. This is a meaningful finding, as it is consistent with similar studies abroad, where seeded clouds intensified into a typical plume shape, as confirmed by the airborne radar. The multi-directional cloud observation method, which considers wind variations, was effective in tracking seeded clouds and observing their characteristic changes. These findings help verify the effects of cloud seeding in numerical simulations and demonstrate the excellent observation performance of airborne radar for optimal experimental design and analysis, particularly under complex topographical conditions such as those found in South Korea.