Is it technologically possible to create High Pressure?

[tgenius]

I know this may sound really futuristic, but even in a small controlled environment, is it possible to create a High Pressure system artificially?

[Cape Verde]

A year or so ago, I asked the forum about a favorite theory of a co-worker. He believed (and maybe still does) that you could destroy a hurricane by dropping a nuclear bomb in the eye. The resulting pressure blast would supposedly destroy the low.

It was a good discussion. At the end, the general conclusion is that doing so would make things worse and probably intensify the system significantly.

That's not a direct answer to your question, of course, but it's related tangently.

[tgenius]

Anyone else care to chime in?

[AJC3]

Well, if you're looking for a real world example, the pressurized cabins of jet aircraft are artificial "bubbles" of high pressure.

[george_r_1961]

I do not see how we can do this..at least not in my lifetime. The forces of the atmosphere are so great that I believe its next to impossible to man to interfere with them.

Just my 2 cents.

[Cyclenall]

A year or so ago, I asked the forum about a favorite theory of a co-worker. He believed (and maybe still does) that you could destroy a hurricane by dropping a nuclear bomb in the eye. The resulting pressure blast would supposedly destroy the low.

It was a good discussion. At the end, the general conclusion is that doing so would make things worse and probably intensify the system significantly.

Why would it do that? I thought it's supposed to weaken it not make it stronger! Did you tell the co-worker that it would make the system stronger?

Here is a silly idea, we should try this out on a hurricane. See what happens. If it gets stronger, then we should do it more then once (on the same hurricane) to see how powerful a Tropical Cyclone can get (if there even is a limit which I doubt a bit).

[Terrell]

A year or so ago, I asked the forum about a favorite theory of a co-worker. He believed (and maybe still does) that you could destroy a hurricane by dropping a nuclear bomb in the eye. The resulting pressure blast would supposedly destroy the low.

It was a good discussion. At the end, the general conclusion is that doing so would make things worse and probably intensify the system significantly.

Why would it do that? I thought it's supposed to weaken it not make it stronger! Did you tell the co-worker that it would make the system stronger?

Here is a silly idea, we should try this out on a hurricane. See what happens. If it gets stronger, then we should do it more then once (on the same hurricane) to see how powerful a Tropical Cyclone can get (if there even is a limit which I doubt a bit).

No we shouldn't, if we detonated a nuclear device in a hurricane, wouldn't it also make the entire system radioactive? Would we really want a radioactive hurricane doing her best Hurricane Katrina imitation? I think not.

[Cyclenall]

No we shouldn't, if we detonated a nuclear device in a hurricane, wouldn't it also make the entire system radioactive? Would we really want a radioactive hurricane doing her best Hurricane Katrina imitation? I think not.

Who ever said the hurricane has to hit land? Test it on a non-landfalling hurricane first. Also, what would it be like if what you said really happened? That would be crazy: Hurricane + Radioactive = Somewhere getting the "beats" like never before.

[weatherbee1982]

I disagree with any attempt to drop a nuke within any Hurricane. Not only would you have the potential of making the system radioactive, you would also have to deal with the fallout down the line when it turns extratropical (or gets absorbed by another system). Another possibility is that the radioactivity could also be forced into the tropopause or lower stratosphere, where jet streams could carry it beyond the intended area of detonation.

[Audrey2Katrina]

I disagree with any attempt to drop a nuke within any Hurricane. Not only would you have the potential of making the system radioactive, you would also have to deal with the fallout down the line when it turns extratropical (or gets absorbed by another system). Another possibility is that the radioactivity could also be forced into the tropopause or lower stratosphere, where jet streams could carry it beyond the intended area of detonation.

Exactly... I was in the process of saying something similar when I noted your post. We already have "acid rain" .. the last thing we need to add to the problem is "radioactive rain"... you canNOT control where the radiation will ultimately go. The potential dangers and drawbacks are almost inconceivable. IMO.

I agree with George. At least in the short term, I just don't see us controlling an agent of nature that already has the strength of God knows only how many atomic bombs... but I can assure you that in its lifetime it's gotta be a huge number!

A2K

[Audrey2Katrina]

Okay, found this at a NOAA site:

"During each hurricane season, there always appear suggestions that one should simply use nuclear weapons to try and destroy the storms. Apart from the fact that this might not even alter the storm, this approach neglects the problem that the released radioactive fallout would fairly quickly move with the tradewinds to affect land areas and cause devastating environmental problems. Needless to say, this is not a good idea.

Now for a more rigorous scientific explanation of why this would not be an effective hurricane modification technique. 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 20x10^13 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 10^13 watts in 1990, a rate less than 20% of the power of a hurricane."

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C5c.html

Puts that idea to rest as I see it.

A2K

[nolabelplez]

Didn't someone post last year about testing the government did on Hurricanes as weapons? As I recall, they tested a hurricane that was not going to hit land, but what they did made it hit land.
Does anyone remember what I'm talking about?

[Audrey2Katrina]

Does anyone remember what I'm talking about?

I've heard about many such tests... there were even conspiracy rumors that such is what was tried with Betsy, but I think the ones you allude to were even well before that. Not sure tho'.

A2K

[FunkMasterB]

This thread is awesome.

[coriolis]

High pressure is sinking air, right? Get a large number of helicoptors and have them all hover in a grid pattern. That should create some sinking air.

[HardCard]

this thread demonstrates ignorance....


How do you know a hurricane will not effect ANY land mass until AFTER it's run it's course?

[tgenius]

this thread demonstrates ignorance....


How do you know a hurricane will not effect ANY land mass until AFTER it's run it's course?

The point isn't to stop the "landfalling" hurricanes, but to stop ALL the hurricanes, no hurricane=no landfall last I checked.

[bevgo]

If you try to stop all hurricanes, what would that do to the global climate. A hurricane is mother natures way of dissapating heat energy. How do we know we do not NEED them?????

[Steve]

Yes you can artificially create high pressure. You can also artificially create low pressure. Think toilets, vacuums and such At the Great Lakes Science Center on the waterfront in Cleveland, OH, they have a tornado-smoke machine that you can manipulate.

Steve

[Jim Cantore]

absolutely, compressed air tanks, the pressure is so high that it turns into a rocket when punctured.