Editing Project Stormfury (section)

==Project STORMFURY begins==

[[Robert Simpson (meteorologist)|Robert Simpson]] became its first director, serving in this capacity until 1965.<ref name="fury">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/lb/vision/earth/lookingatearth/simpson_bio.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617020425/http://www.nasa.gov/lb/vision/earth/lookingatearth/simpson_bio.html |date=1 June 2005 |title=Meet Dr. Joanne Simpson: Chief Scientist Emeritus for Meteorology, Earth Sun Exploration Division |archive-date=17 June 2008 |author=Rob Gutro |url-status=dead |publisher=Goddard Space Flight Center }}</ref>  There were several guidelines used in selecting which storms to seed. The hurricane had to have a less than 10 percent chance of approaching inhabited land within a day;<ref name="Whipple p. 153">Whipple p 153</ref>  it had to be within range of the seeding aircraft; and it had to be a fairly intense storm with a well-formed [[eye (cyclone)|eye]].<ref name="Davies p. 89"/> The primary effect of these criteria was to make possible seeding targets extremely rare.<ref name="Whipple p. 154">Whipple p 154</ref>

No suitable storms formed in the [[1962 Atlantic hurricane season|1962 season]]. Next year, Stormfury began by conducting [[scientific experiment|experiments]] on [[cumulus cloud]]s. From August 17 to 20 of that year, experiments were conducted in 11 clouds, of which six were seeded and five were [[Scientific control|controls]]. In five of the six seeded clouds, changes consistent with the working hypothesis were observed.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507">Willoughby, Jorgensen, Black, and Rosenthal p 507</ref>

On August 23, 1963, [[1963 Atlantic hurricane season#Hurricane Beulah|Hurricane Beulah]] was the site of the next seeding attempt. It had an indistinct eyewall. In addition, mistakes were made, as the seedings of silver iodide were dropped in the wrong places. As a consequence, nothing happened.<ref name="Davies p. 90"/> The next day, another attempt was made, and the seeders hit their targets. The eyewall was observed to fall apart and be replaced by another eyewall with a larger radius.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/> The [[sustained winds]] also fell by twenty percent.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/> All in all, the results of the experiments on Beulah were "encouraging but inconclusive."<ref name="Davies p. 90 quoted">R. Cecil Gentry, quoted in Davies p 90</ref>

In the six years after Beulah, no seedings were conducted for several different reasons. In 1964, measurement and observation equipment was not ready to be used.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/> The year after that, all flights were used for additional experimentation in non-hurricane clouds.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/>

[[Joanne Simpson]] became its director beginning in 1965.<ref name="fury"/><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/journals/essa_world/QC851U461966oct.pdf|journal=ESSA World|author=Herbert Leib|page=4|date=October 1966|publisher=Environmental Satellite Services Administration|title=Project Stormfury}}</ref>
While out to sea in August of the [[1965 Atlantic hurricane season]], Stormfury meteorologists decided that [[Hurricane Betsy]] was a good candidate for seeding.<ref name="Whipple p. 153">Whipple p 153</ref> However, the storm immediately swung towards land, and on September 1, the planned flights were canceled. For some reason, the press was not notified that there were no seedings, and several newspapers reported that it had begun.<ref name="Whipple p. 153"/> As Betsy passed close to [[the Bahamas]] and smashed into southern [[Florida]], the public and [[United States Congress|Congress]] thought that seeding was underway and blamed Stormfury.<ref name="Whipple p. 153"/> It took two months for Stormfury officials to convince Congress that Betsy was not seeded, and the project was allowed to continue.<ref name="Whipple p. 153"/> A second candidate, [[1965 Atlantic hurricane season#Hurricane Elena|Hurricane Elena]], stayed too far out to sea.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/>

After Betsy, two other hurricanes came close to being seeded. [[Hurricane Faith]] was considered a likely candidate, but it stayed out of range of the seeding planes.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/> That same year, recon flights were conducted into [[Hurricane Inez]], but there were no seedings.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/> Both the [[1967 Atlantic hurricane season|1967]] and [[1968 Atlantic hurricane season|1968 seasons]] were inactive. Because of that, there were no suitable seeding targets in either of those two seasons.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/>

[[Image:Eye of hurricane debbie (1969).jpg|thumb|left|The eye of [[1969 Atlantic hurricane season#Hurricane Debbie|Hurricane Debbie]] on August 20]]

Dr. R. Cecil Gentry became the director of Stormfury in 1968.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=ESSA World|page=34|title=ESSA, Navy, Air Force Alert for 1968 Stormfury Season|author=Staff|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/journals/essa_world/QC851U461968oct.pdf|publisher=Environmental Satellite Services Administration|date=October 1968}}</ref>  There were no more near-seedings until 1969. In the interim, equipment was improved. What once was the primitive method of hand-dumping dry ice was replaced with rocket canisters loaded with silver iodide, and then gun-like devices mounted on the wings of the airplanes that fired silver iodide into the clouds. Observation equipment was improved.<ref name="Whipple p. 153"/> Additional reconnaissance data was utilized to modify the working hypothesis. The new theory took cumulus towers outside the [[eye (cyclone)|eyewall]] into account. According to the revised theory, by seeding the towers, [[latent heat]] would be released. This would trigger the start of new convection, which would then cause a new eyewall. Since the new eyewall was outside the original one, the first eyewall would be choked of energy and fall apart. In addition, since the new eyewall was broader than the old one, the winds would be lower due to a less sharp pressure difference.<ref name="Whipple p. 153"/>

[[Hurricane Debbie (1969)|Hurricane Debbie]] in 1969 provided the best opportunity to test the underpinnings of Project Stormfury. In many ways it was the perfect storm for seeding: it did not threaten any land; it passed within range of seeding aircraft; and was intense with a distinct eye.<ref name="Whipple p. 153-154">Whipple pp 153–154</ref> On August 18 and again on August 20, thirteen planes flew out to the storm to monitor and seed it. On the first day, windspeeds fell by 31%.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/> On the second day, windspeeds fell by 18%.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/> Both changes were consistent with Stormfury's working hypothesis. Indeed, the results were so encouraging that "a greatly expanded research program was planned."<ref name="Davies . 91 quote">Gentry, quoted in Davies p 91</ref> Among other conclusions was the need for frequent seeding at close to hourly intervals.<ref name="MWR 1972 p 216">Black, Senn, and Courtright p 216</ref>

The [[1970 Atlantic hurricane season|1970]] and [[1971 Atlantic hurricane season|1971 seasons]] provided no suitable seeding candidates.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/> Despite this, flights were conducted into [[Hurricane Ginger]]. Ginger was not a suitable storm for seeding, due to its diffuse, indistinct nature. The seeding had no effect. Ginger was the last seeding done by Project Stormfury.<ref name="Bulletin p. 507"/>