Have you heard the news? Donald Trump decided to start a nuclear war … So far, however, with hurricanes. To say that his entourage was shocked is to say nothing. Nevertheless, the American leader insists on exploring such a possibility and has given the appropriate instructions. Now his advisers must agree or justify the impossibility of such a struggle. Let's see what this "war" is and what it can lead to.
When will a nuclear war start?
In more detail, the essence of Trump's proposal boils down to the following. Hurricanes originate off the coast of Africa, after which, after passing through the Atlantic, they reach the shores of the United States. They are usually quite strong. Remember at least Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans and part of Louisiana experienced the full power of the elements. It was a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale and the sixth most powerful in the Atlantic on record. It claimed the lives of 1,836 residents and caused $ 125 billion in damage, according to official estimates. These numbers are not surprising given that 80% of New Orleans was underwater.
Of course, such hurricanes do not occur every year, but less devastating storms can cause serious damage. To avoid them and keep them out of the United States, the incumbent proposed sending a nuclear charge into the middle of an emerging hurricane, which should destroy it and prevent it from finally forming. At the same time, it was not said exactly at what moment the strike should be struck, but apparently, when the hurricane will be at a safe distance from Africa.
It is worth noting that the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, already had such thoughts. He also suggested fighting hurricanes with bombs, but this never came to fruition. Even Trump himself spoke of such a possibility two years ago, although the word “nuclear” was not used then.
If Trump's proposal is accepted and there are no downsides to this method of struggle, actions may begin as soon as a new hurricane forms. This happens most often at the end of summer.
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Can a hurricane be blown up?
As strange as it sounds, the cloud can really be blown up. True, one should not forget that on the scale of the planet and the phenomena occurring on it, even the explosion of an atomic bomb is not something really significant. Yes, it can pretty much shake the Earth's surface, allowing seismic sensors many hundreds of kilometers away to sense the vibration from the explosion, but a hurricane is a damn big thing.
However, a hurricane is a moving air mass, the main cause of which is temperature fluctuations. When the mechanism has already been launched and the masses began to actively move, they can be stopped only by disrupting this movement. For example, in a cup, after stirring tea, its circular movement can be stopped only by significantly interfering with the process with a spoon. Also with hurricanes.
If the bomb charge is enough to disrupt the movement of air masses, this can potentially stop the hurricane, but only if the force of the explosion is very large. According to rough estimates, for this, the power of the bomb should be 20 megatons. For comparison, a 15 kiloton bomb was dropped on Hiroshima (almost 1000 times weaker). Nevertheless, other undesirable consequences of such a struggle with the elements are possible.
Why you can't blow up clouds
We will not argue with the President and his advisers, but simply try to speculate ourselves on the dangers of using strategic charges to destroy a hurricane.
If we apply those considerations to the current situation, we can conclude that the bomb may not destroy the movement of the masses, but, on the contrary, increase the area of their movement, as if stretching it. This is completely undesirable, as it can lead to even greater destruction. This will only happen if the explosion is insufficient. If the air masses are “pushed apart” strongly enough, the rotation speed will drop. This is due to the fact that the wider the radius of rotation, the lower its speed.
In addition, do not forget that such an explosion must be carefully prepared. There should be no ships in a large radius from the center of the explosion.
In addition to the physical damage to objects by the blast wave, a nuclear explosion can shoot down some communication systems, including aircraft, even at a considerable distance. This is due to the fact that during a nuclear explosion, electromagnetic interference spreads around, which is also a damaging factor in an explosion.
Do not forget that small islands, although not visible on the globe, are all over the ocean. It is also better to stay away from them, as there may be people on them. All of this greatly narrows the list of places where atomic bombs can be used in the fight against hurricanes.
The last, but probably the most significant disadvantage of such an impact, will be radiation contamination. In addition to the fact that it threatens with radioactive fallout, do not forget about the Gulf Stream, which can spread contaminated water around the world, starting from Europe, which fishes in coastal waters. It is they who will receive the first wave of radiation. It is unlikely that the states of Western Europe will be ready for this and will agree with such a fight against hurricanes.
How will they deal with a hurricane
It is difficult to say unequivocally which method will be chosen to deal with hurricanes. One thing is almost certain. They will not be blown up with atomic bombs. Yes, the consequences of hurricanes are very sad - people die, billions are spent on rebuilding cities. But experiments to bombard clouds in the ocean look even more dubious.
Artem Sutyagin