The scientific context behind why the U.S. just had its wettest 12 months:
. As cloud water forms, latent heat is released to the air. That process warms the air column, produces rising motion and further contributes to the evolution and strengthening of powerful thunderstorms within the eyewall and rainbands of a hurricane.The discussion of hurricane energetics sets up why some people suggest"nuking" the storm to blow it out. Dr.
Landsea also points out that there are pressure considerations that are difficult and impractical from a modification standpoint. Specifically, he says: For normal atmospheric pressure, there is about ten metric tons of air bearing down on each square meter of surface. In the strongest hurricanes there are nine. To change a Category 5 hurricane into a Category 2 hurricane you would have to add about a half ton of air for each square meter inside the eye, or a total of a bit more than half a billion tons for a 20 km radius eye. It's difficult to envision a practical way of moving that much air around.
And for those with the idea about intervening with developing tropical waves or depressions, that's not so easy either. Only about 5% of these systems that form each year develop into hurricanes in a typical year. How do you determine which one to"nuke"? You can't just nuke them all. for a discussion of other ideas that have come along over the years.
Dr. Marshall Shepherd, Dir., Atmospheric Sciences Program/GA Athletic Assoc. Distinguished Professor , Host, Weather Channel's Popular Podcast, Weather Geeks, 2013 AMS PresidentDr. J. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society and is Director of the U...
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