Friday, September 23, 2005
Nuke 'Em All
The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory helpfully explains some of the impracticalities of using nukes to destroy hurricanes here.
The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory helpfully explains some of the impracticalities of using nukes to destroy hurricanes here.
The main difficulty with using explosives to modify hurricanes is the amount of energy required. A fully developed hurricane can release heat energy at a rate of 5 to 20x1013 watts and converts less than 10% of the heat into the mechanical energy of the wind. The heat release is equivalent to a 10-megaton nuclear bomb exploding every 20 minutes. According to the 1993 World Almanac, the entire human race used energy at a rate of 1013 watts in 1990, a rate less than 20% of the power of a hurricane.
