The United States is widely credited with inventing cloud seeding.
In the 1940s, General Electric scientist Vincent Schaefer conducted experiments with a "cold box" at the General Electric Research Laboratory in Schenectady, New York. This led to the discovery that dry ice could be used to trigger the formation of ice crystals in clouds, a key principle in cloud seeding.
Shortly after, Dr. Bernard Vonnegut (brother of author Kurt Vonnegut), also working for General Electric, discovered that silver iodide could be used for the same purpose.
These early discoveries led to the development of cloud seeding techniques that have been used around the world ever since.
While the US is credited with the invention, other countries have also made significant contributions to the field. For example, Australia has been a pioneer in using cloud seeding to increase rainfall, and China has invested heavily in cloud seeding research and development.
Today, cloud seeding is used in many countries for a variety of purposes, including increasing rainfall, reducing hail damage, and dispersing fog.
