Supersonic Jets Breaking Up Hurricanes: Possibilities

In summary, the idea of using fighter jets to disrupt and neutralize hurricanes before they hit land may seem absurd at first glance, but it is based on legitimate expertise in fluid flow and has been proposed in a patent application. While there is no peer-reviewed evidence to support this method, it cannot be dismissed entirely and remains an interesting concept.
  • #1
lvlastermind
101
0
http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-amp-space/article/2009-03/hurricane-busters

A Category 4 hurricane approaches New Orleans, yet “When the Saints Go Marching In” continues to spill out of clubs on Bourbon Street. No one’s worried, because two F4 Phantom fighter jets have just taken off from the nearby Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base to kill the storm before it hits land...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2


On the face of it, it looks absurd. And frankly, that's what I am betting.

However, who knows. A hurricane dissipates one heck of a lot of energy, but so too does ordinary convection on a clear day. In principle I can't fault the idea that you might be able to break up the conditions of formation early on.

So if you want more background:
  • Here's a report of the patent application in New Scientist: Invention: Supersonic hurricane neutraliser, New Scientist website, written 1 Dec 2008 by Justin Mullins.
  • Here's the actual patent application itself.
  • The main author, Arkady I. Leonov, is a Professor of Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron, Ohio. The relevant aspect of his background is that he has legitimate expertise in fluid flow; albeit mostly applied in smaller scales. Here's his http://www2.uakron.edu/cpspe/dpe/web/leonov.php at the Uni.
  • He's written a couple of papers on hurricanes for arxiv; which is a repository of papers without formal peer review. There's lots of good stuff there, but inclusion is no assurance of quality. The paper looks sensible at first glance, and barely touches on methods for actually manipulating hurricanes. See Aerodynamic Models for Hurricanes IV. On the hurricane genesis and maturing, arXiv:0812.3180v1 Dec 2008.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #3


I agree, it certainly sounds absurd. It's swatting an elephant with a flyswatter.

But I also can't dismiss this one out of hand, especially the earlier the intervention.
 
  • #4


Since we don't have any peer-reviewed references, and because this is not a claim of an unexplained phenomenon, I am locking the thread to prevent misguided discussions. If anyone has a journal reference for this, send me a pm and we can move the discusison to Earth Sciences. Until then, this falls into the category of an interesting but unsubstantiated claim.
 

What is a supersonic jet and how does it work?

A supersonic jet is an aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound. It works by using powerful engines and aerodynamic design to generate enough thrust to overcome the drag forces and reach supersonic speeds.

Can a supersonic jet really break up a hurricane?

There is currently no scientific evidence to support the claim that a supersonic jet could effectively break up a hurricane. While the powerful engines and shockwaves produced by a supersonic jet may disrupt the outer edges of a hurricane, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the overall structure of the storm.

What are the potential risks and consequences of using supersonic jets to break up hurricanes?

There are several potential risks and consequences associated with using supersonic jets to break up hurricanes. These include potential damage to the aircraft from flying through severe weather, disruption of the hurricane's natural circulation and potentially causing it to change course, and the environmental impact of supersonic flights on the atmosphere.

Are there any alternative methods for preventing or weakening hurricanes?

There are ongoing research efforts to explore alternative methods for preventing or weakening hurricanes. These include seeding the storm with silver iodide to disrupt the formation of water droplets, using large fans to blow away the warm air that fuels the hurricane, and cooling the ocean surface with icebergs or other methods.

What is the current stance of the scientific community on using supersonic jets to break up hurricanes?

The majority of the scientific community is skeptical of the effectiveness and potential consequences of using supersonic jets to break up hurricanes. While the idea has been proposed and studied in the past, there is currently no scientific consensus on whether it is a viable solution for mitigating the impact of hurricanes.

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top