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Science quiz: Tinkering with stormsVisual: Name this 1947 hurricane that became the subject of controversy after its sharp turn to the northeast, into Florida, was blamed on cloud-seeding.START THE QUIZ
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Name this 1947 hurricane that became the subject of controversy after its sharp turn to the northeast, into Florida, was blamed on cloud-seeding.
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On September 16, 1961, the US National Hurricane Research Project dropped several containers of ______ ______ into Hurricane Esther’s eyewall and a drop in wind speed by 10% was reported. In a subsequent test, the same compound was dropped outside the eyewall and no changes in wind speed were reported. On the basis of this (dubious) success, the US launched what came to be known as Project Stormfury. Fill in the blanks.
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The compound in Q1 is used in cloud seeding because of a process called X, where — because the compound has the same structure as ice — it induces freezing. Name X.
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In 1976, Project Stormfury had shifted to the Pacific Ocean, where the plan was to make flights from Guam and attempt to cloud-seed typhoons rather than hurricanes. However, _____ objected that it wouldn’t tolerate typhoons changing course as a result and making landfall over its territory. Fill in the blank with the name of a country.
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In 1980, scientists who were tracking Hurricane _____, which remains the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of wind speed, found that changes in its characteristics refuted the working hypothesis of Project Stormfury. Fill in the blank.
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_____ ______ once alleged that Project Stormfury was a US attempt to weaponise hurricanes during the Cold War. Fill in the blanks with the name of a revolutionary leader.
Published – September 17, 2025 06:30 am IST
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