Preliminary investigations have resulted in an understanding of our present state of knowledge and our ability to predict the occurrence of atmospheric effects and their subsequent impacts. Thus far it has been possible to identify at least initial or direct atmospheric effects and, in some cases, cause and effect "chains" or sequences of events resulting from SPS disturbances in various regions of the atmosphere. However, the extent or magnitude of these effects and what consequences they may have for the biosphere will have to be more intensively studied during FY 1979 and FY 1980 and perhaps for many years to come, especially if any program of the magnitude of the SPS is actually undertaken. Pilot programs, if they are initiated, should be carefully monitored for information useful in verifying theoretical predictions or in identifying new issues. Below are summarized some of the more important issues that have been identified and for which further investigation is under way or planned. 3.1 MICROWAVE AND RECTENNA-RELATED EFFECTS IN THE TROPOSPHERE Possible relationships between the rectenna and weather and climate modifications are shown in Fig. 3.3. Preliminary qualitative analyses have indicated that the waste heat released at the rectenna site would produce about the same heat-island effects as a suburban area. Those analyses also showed that under most situations, the attenuation of the microwave beam in the troposphere will be small and will not produce significant disturbances of meteorological consequence on any scale. More recently, however, in a workshop on the meteorological effects of SPS rectenna operation, the panel recommended that increases in waste heat release of up to an order of magnitude should be considered in order to account for the possible loss of beam control in worst-case situations. They also recommended that the effects of atmospheric heating due to rectenna operation should be better defined on both the mesoscale (10-100 km in size) and "cloud scale" (10 km or less). The effects, as pointed out by the panel, will vary from one atmospheric condition to another and hence will be site specific. However, not all conditions can be tested in the two-year feasibility study period and so a few typical configurations of flat land, ocean, and mountain-valley situations should be focused upon using existing mesoscale and "cloud scale" models. Site-specific and characteristic regional effect studies of SPS should be considered as longer term objectives.
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