Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: Lewis Thomson on 21/01/2022 12:14:15

Title: Can we divert typhoons?
Post by: Lewis Thomson on 21/01/2022 12:14:15

Paul would like help answering this question.

"I heard an American weather scientist say they could divert a typhoon but not control where it was diverted to. He didn't explain how they could divert a typhoon and ideally if they could generate a reverse swirling of winds to neutralise the typhoon out at sea, that would probably be the ideal situation, but I don't know how they would do that. Any news of progress in that field?"

Discuss your findings in the comments below...

Title: Re: Can we divert typhoons?
Post by: Origin on 21/01/2022 12:29:27

The quick answer is no.  The longer answer is nooooo.

Title: Re: Can we divert typhoons?
Post by: Petrochemicals on 21/01/2022 15:37:43

It depends on what you think of as acceptable, nuclear bombs would have an effect, or covering the entire ocean surface to stop evaporation and heating. Iceberg placement or refrigeration. Solar space shields.

Weather front movements have to do with the surrounding weather which have to do with the jet streams.

Title: Re: Can we divert typhoons?
Post by: Bored chemist on 21/01/2022 17:41:18

The "butterfly effect" tells us that every time you breathe you affect the path of a typhoon, but you have no way in which to know what effect you had.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect

Title: Re: Can we divert typhoons?
Post by: alancalverd on 21/01/2022 21:57:56

Quote

A mature typhoon produces a level of kinetic energy " equivalent to about half the world-wide electrical generating capacity ," according to the Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory.

Ignoring the muddled quantities, it's pretty obvious that letting off  a few nuclear bombs won't impress your average typhoon very much.

Title: Re: Can we divert typhoons?
Post by: evan_au on 21/01/2022 22:04:03

We can affect typhoons by reducing the rate at which we are heating the ocean surface.
- Typhoons/Hurricanes/Cyclones form more often when the sea surface temperature is above 26C.
- As humans warm the world (most of which goes into the oceans), typhoons will become more common; typhoon season will start earlier and end later.

"Going nowhere" affects the path of a Hurricane.
- And if it doesn't form in the first place, where it is diverted to is undefined...

Title: Re: Can we divert typhoons?
Post by: Bored chemist on 22/01/2022 00:34:32

Quote from: alancalverd on 21/01/2022 21:57:56

Ignoring the muddled quantities, it's pretty obvious that letting off  a few nuclear bombs won't impress your average typhoon very much.

Quote from: Bored chemist on 20/01/2022 08:32:47

For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear  obvious , simple, and wrong.

H. L. Mencken