Some Approaches To Statistical Analysis Of A Weather Modification Experiment

Some Approaches to Statistical Analysis of a Weather Modification Experiment

Data from a weather modification experiment are examined and a number of statistical analyses reported. The validity of earlier inferences is studied as are the utilities of various statistical methods. The experiment is described. The original analysis of North American Weather Consultants, who conducted the experiment, is reviewed. Data summarization is reported. A major approach to analysis is through the use of cloud-physics covariates in regression analyses. Finally, a multivariate analysis is discussed. It appears that the covariates may have been affected by treatment (cloud seeding) and that their use is invalid, not only reducing error variances but removing treatment effect. Some recommendations for improved design of similar future experiments are given in a concluding section, including preliminary trial use of blocking by storms. (Author).

Proceedings of the ... Conference on the Design of Experiments in Army Research, Development and Testing

Statistical Analysis of Weather Modification Experiments

Developments in probability and mathematical statistics generated by studies in meteorology and weather modification; Some operational considerations in evaluation of weather modification programs: a short excursion into epistemology; Some approaches to statistical analysis of a weather modification experiment; comparing the testing of hypotheses based on lognormal and gamma distributions; A multivariate methodology for the analysis of weather modification experiments; Physically meaningful covariates; Some statistical aspects of weather modification studies; Limitations of statistics in weather modification; Comments on the reanalysis of the santa barbara II cloud seeding experiments; Comments on the discussion at the workshop on the statistical design and analysis of weather modification experiments; Response to the discussion.