What would happen if you set off a nuclear weapon in the middle of a hurricane?

Question

I was thinking, what if one of Humanity's most destructive forces went head-on with one of Mother Nature's? In this hypothetical scenario, I guess the nuke would be in the center of the hurricane. What would happen to the hurricane, the explosion, and what would be the resulting aftermath?

Answer 1

the hurricane would quit working, but we would get radioactivity fallout residue

Answer 2

I don't think anybody really knows. Hurricanes are huge weather patterns with alot of inertia and angular momentum. While nuclear weapons release huge amounts energy, what is important is how that energy compares to the energy of the hurricane. If the two energies are of the same scale, then some really complicated physics will have to be considered, but if the hurricane has a lot more energy than the nuclear, then the blast wouldn't significantly alter the behavior of the hurricane. If i had to guess I would say that the hurricane has a lot more inertia energy.

Answer 3

Here are two websites for good overview of both a nuclear bomb detonation and hurricanes.
http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian/ap1bmb.html
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/hurr/home.rxml

I don't know the answer to your question. But, it's an intriguing question these days because, if a nuclear detonation COULD be even partially snuffed by a hurricane, AND we can now make hurricanes and hurl them somewhat, could a hurricane lobbed at a nuclear bomb be a possible intervention, or, a possible enhancement of the nuclear devastation? Which of the two beasts would win in a fair fight? A meteorologist is the right expert to ask for help. We already know that it would be unwise to turn to the President of the United States for help in a hurricane.

Answer 4

Before I can answer this I need to know 3 things...
1) The size of the warhead.
2) The category of the hurricane.
3) The name of the hurricane (I can guarantee the nuclear blast will overpower the hurricane if it has a wimpy name).

Answer 5

I expect the primary radiation from the nuclear explosion would not be affected by the hurricane. Hurricane wind speeds are nothing compared to the divergence speed of the nuclear fragments, and the gamma radiation wouldn't be affected either. The wind would blow the secondary radiation hither and yon, until it fell into the ocean.

Answer 6

The sudden heat variance would exponentially increase the hurricanes force. Katrina, then, would be anologous to the bomb dropped on Hiroshima while the nuclear-huricane would be anologous to the nuclear weapons of today: 1,000 times, or more, greater.

The residual heat would also prolong the hurricane, causing it to sustain itself over large areas of land, potentially far inland. Envision Katrina, already 1,000 times greater in force, reaching Manitoba, Canada.

Answer 7

sparrow(something) is on the right track...a typical Cat 2 or 3 hurricane has so much energy in it it wouuldnt even notice a nuc going off in it.....think of setting off a cherry bomb in front of a box fan....maybe a momentary blip in the wind energy flow, but thats about it go look at the Natioanl Hurricane's Center site for some hard numbers www.nhc.noaa.gov

Answer 8

Hurricanes are formed by warm seawater. Setting off a TND might warm the ocean more and create a more intense, radioactive hurricane, everybodie's favourite.

Answer 9

the winds would spead the fallout much faster... but the rains would rinse it away. if this were at sea, the salt in the ocean water would absorb the neutrons (salt water is used to decontaminate irradiated areas).

there would NOT be any kind of cataclysmic explosion, aside from what the nuke could do under normal conditions.

Answer 10

it would want to count upon the position the explosion befell. If it befell in open interstellar area, it would want to easily make a magnificent flash of sunshine. If it handed off on the point of the exterior of a planet or moon, it would want to do a touch damage. Make a crater or reason some disruption of a few type. back, come to imagine of it, it would want to count upon the length of the bomb, besides. the bigger the bomb, the more serious the damage. sweet objectives.

Answer 11

We'd get a radioactive hurricane. Does that seem like a good idea to you?