Abstract
On October 19, 1977, on a flight from Albany, New York to Reno, Nevada, I spent most of the trip on the sunny side of the jet aircraft watching the world go by.... The flight route from Chicago to Reno went past Cheyenne, Elk Mountain, Flaming Gorge Reservoir, just north of the Bingham Copper Pit, and then across the Bonneville Salt Flats into Nevada. Much of the region west of Chicago was cloudless but shortly afterwe crossed the Nevada state line,the first batch of cumulus clouds appeared as we approached the Ruby Mountains. Proceeding west southwest, convective clouds increased in concentration until they obscured the ground. The sky above our plane was cloudless and therewere no middle clouds.....
Highlights
Proceedingwesterly,I was interestedto see thatmany of the clouds, whichconsistedof largestratocumulus,were shiftingto ice crystalsand in a nu~erof instancesthey were entirelyglaciated.Brightundersuns couldbe seen at a suitableanglewith the sun whereverthe planepassed acrossthe ice crystalareas
As we nearedthe Reno area,it was easilyseen that the pollutionplumefrom the city had movedinto the area wherethe glaciationwas observed.It is almostcertainthat the cloudmodificatiosneen was beingcausedby something in the air from the city
The mountainssurroundingReno,particularltyo the southwest,west and northwestare responsiblefor the developmenotf a strongnighttime inversionin the regionoccupiedby the city.This generallydisappearsafter the sun has heatedthe groundfor a few hours,the prevailingwesterlywinds carryingthe accumulatedpollutioneasterlyinto the regionwhereI observed the glaciation.The city haze that appearsover Reno duringthe nighthas recentlybeen describedand illustratedby Hallett[1]
Summary
The flightroutefrom Chicagoto Reno went past Cheyenne,Elk Mountain, FlamingGorgeReservoir,just northof the BinghamCopperPit, and across the BonnevilleSalt Flatsinto Nevada.Much of the regionwest of Chicagowas cloudlessbut shortlyafterwe crossedthe Nevadastateline,the firstbatch of cumuluscloudsappearedas we approachedthe Ruby Mountains.Proceeding westsouthwest,convectivecloudsincreasedin concentratiounntilthey obscuredthe ground.The sky aboveour planewas cloudlessand therewereno middleclouds. Proceedingwesterly,I was interestedto see thatmany of the clouds, whichconsistedof largestratocumulus,were shiftingto ice crystalsand in a nu~erof instancesthey were entirelyglaciated.Brightundersuns couldbe seen at a suitableanglewith the sun whereverthe planepassed acrossthe ice crystalareas. With the massivecloudmodificatiopnatternthat was visible,I was extremelyinterestedto determine,if possible,the sourceof the ice nuclei.
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