| Poster Title: | Enhancing Rainfall in Arid Regions: The Potential of Solar Farms and Artificial Water Bodies to Promote Microclimate-Induced Precipitation. |
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| Full Name: | Muhammad Farhan Siddique |
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| Affiliation / Institution: | United Arab Emirates University |
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Abstract: | Rain forms as part of the water cycle, primarily involving evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. First, water evaporates from natural sources like oceans, lakes, and rivers due to heat from the sun. As this water vapor rises, it encounters cooler temperatures in the atmosphere, causing it to condense into tiny droplets that form clouds. When these droplets merge and grow too heavy, gravity pulls them down to earth as precipitation or rain. However, in the UAE, factors like geographic location, limited natural water bodies, high temperatures, and stable air pressure systems inhibit this cycle. Sparse vegetation further reduces atmospheric moisture through transpiration, and climate change exacerbates these dry conditions and limits rainfall. However, installing large-scale solar panel arrays in desert areas could help promote localized rainfall by influencing microclimates. Solar panels absorb sunlight and create localized warming, which can drive thermal convection—the movement of warm air upwards. This warm air can catalyze cloud formation, especially if moisture is present in the atmosphere. Moreover, combining solar farms with artificial lakes or water bodies could further amplify this effect. The heat generated by the panels accelerates the evaporation from these water sources, adding more water vapor to the atmosphere. This increase in moisture, alongside convection currents from the solar installations, raises the chances for cloud formation and potential precipitation. While these factors can create conditions more favorable for rain, potentially contributing to a microclimate that supports local precipitation in desert regions. |
