5 of 6
deleted 2 characters in body
Deer Hunter
  • 2.1k
  • 15
  • 32

How much energy is needed to alter the path of a hurricane?

Suppose we spot an Atlantic hurricane very early. How much energy should we expend to alter its track:

  • with nuclear detonations (let's forget about the side effects for the moment)?
  • with a large orbital geostationary mirror illuminating say, the subtropical ridge?
  • by any other means (microwave heating in the troposphere?)

##References on these and other methods from the NOAA Hurricane FAQ:

A fully developed hurricane can release heat energy at a rate of $5-20\centerdot10^{13}$ 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.

##Why the above-mentioned FAQ isn't enough

  • It's incomplete (doesn't include heating/illumination from satellites)
  • Doesn't include a fully-developed nuclear scenario
  • Has no formula linking time since hurricane formation, energy applied and cross-track difference at landfall on the East Coast
Deer Hunter
  • 2.1k
  • 15
  • 32