[extropy-chat] anti-hurricane engineering, reply

[Johnius]

Hi all,

  I forwarded some of your feedback posted on the 
anti-hurricane engineering thread to Wenger.  He's
now back from his teaching tour and sent the 
following replies.

Best, Johnius


==== begin forward ====

[...OTECs in connection with Wenger's proposal...] Sounds like a 
very interesting application.
Thought being that the construction of such a large vertical pipe 
would not be such a problem next to long-legged oil rigs, which 
abound in the Gulf....  Many thanks.   ....win

 -----------------------------

 << Hmm.  I wonder if one could do a sub-million-dollar
 proving project, that would slightly but measurably
 reduce the force of a cat 1 or 2?  Preferably one not
 slated to come ashore, just in case the worst happens.
 Once one has proven it this way, then one could make
 backed-up-by-evidence projections of how much it would
 cost to diminsh a cat 4 or 5, and try to get funding
 for that upscaled project.   A.T. >>

It might be feasible to get a mile or so's deployment out there, run computer 
predictions of hurricane performance from the four or five current best 
weather models, then compare actual hurricane performance.  But you'd need to do 
that a few times to get confidence of data, especially since the changes would 
be small - so I'm thinking the minimum figure would be more likely somewhere 
between five and ten million dollars.   ...w 

 -----------------------------

<< The author reports on simulations suggesting that changing the air
 temperature a degree or two in particular regions around the hurricane
 can change its course or reduce its intensity.  However the article
 was somewhat vague about what technology might accomplish this task.
 There were references to unsuccessful experiments with cloud seeding in
 the 1960s, and suggestions that commercial jet flights might someday
 be planned to control where the shadows fell from their contrails.
 More advanced technologies could include microwave beams from solar power
 satellites or special biodegradable oil coatings to reduce evaporation
 >from selected regions of the ocean. >>

Cloud seeding might actually intensify hurricanes.  If it provokes extra 
precipitation, extra heat is released from that condensed moisture back into the 
storm system.   ...w

==== end forward ====