China used drones for the first time to carry out an artificial snow-enhancement experiment in the Kunlun Mountains in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, according to China Science Daily.
The operation area is located at an altitude of 3,500 meters, where the low oxygen content poses a challenge to the dissemination of catalysts. To overcome the difficulty, the drone was equipped with ultra-long-duration water-increasing smoke flares, and successfully conducted the full combustion ignition experiment of the smoke flares at an altitude of 4,200 meters, thus releasing the catalysts.
The drone was also equipped with high-precision sensors and devices that enabled accurate positioning, real-time monitoring and precise measurement of the operation area. All of these functions were put to the test in the experiment.
The Kunlun Mountains serve as a vital water source in western China. Scientific and effective artificial rain (snow) enhancement operations can replenish surface and groundwater resources, thereby providing more guarantees for agricultural irrigation, industrial water use and residential water supply.
(Reported by He Yuting; Edited by Liu Yinghan)
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