January 09, 2003

The International Airport JSC s management made a decision to artificialy  influence the fogs at the Almaty airport.

A contract was signed with the Central Aerological Observatory for the dispersing of overcooled fog at the Almaty aerodrome according to the Russian liquid nitrogen technology. The method of artificially dispersing overcooled fog by means of liquid nitrogen is intended to improve the conditions for flights that must take off and land during fog.

The method of influencing overcooled fog consists in lowering the air temperature to the levels that lead to crystallization of the moisture in the fog because of the deep and rapid drop in the air temperature. A significant drop in the air temperature is provided by dispersing of liquid nitrogen with the help of a surface generator of the ice’s small dispersed particles. Liquid nitrogen has a low boiling temperature (-198 degrees Celsius). The process of the water drops’ freezing in the fog and falling out of the frozen moisture in the form of snow crystals happens while lowering the temperature. Thus, the humidity and moisture volume abruptly decrease. Visibility range significantly improves right up to a full dispersing of the fog.