Dr. John Hallett, DRI atmospheric physicist and local conference chair, said scientific understanding of cloud formation and precipitation processes has improved substantially in recent years due to technological advances for observing the atmosphere from aircraft and satellites, as well as the greatly increased power of computers to run simulation models.
Hallett said discussions will address how lightening is generated in small, dry thunderstorms which are a major source of range fires in the West. A lively debate is also expected regarding the impact of air pollutants that cause clouds to become more opaque to sunlight, producing a yet undetermined influence on global warming of the atmosphere.