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NO: We will not nuke hurricanes. And a US weather agency has responded to public pressure by explaining why.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has led its Hurricane Research Division's frequently asked questions page with an extraordinary - even for America - statement: "During each hurricane season, there always appear suggestions that one should simply use nuclear weapons to try and destroy the storms."
The main difficulty with using explosives to modify hurricanes is the amount of energy required," he writes. "A fully developed hurricane can release heat energy at a rate of 5 to 20x1013 watts and converts less than 10 per cent 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."
Originally posted by RicketyCricket
That just seems like a really really really ridiculously bad idea.
Really... bad.
Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
OK, for real. Other than beer swilling rednecks, who really thinks we should nuke a hurricane?