heres one for ya.....

[Blknight.aus]

hypothetically speaking.

A cyclone or tornado is caused by a low pressure in the middle and outside air gets drawn into it.

Ignoring the obvious side effects and other longer term considerations, could you snuff out a cyclone by detonating a significantly huge exploding device in the center of the eye?

[Slunnie]

I think so. It'd have to be BIG.

[V8Ian]

Have to be a mighty big bang I reckon, coincidentally I have wondered this myself and thought that it should work but if it were that simple why hasn't someone a lot smarter than me done it before. Our Premier Jo tried firing guns to make it rain, we're suggesting firing guns to stop the rain

[JDNSW]

I seem to remember that it has been tried with tornadoes, although I don't remember it having been successful. The marine equivalent of tornadoes are waterspouts, and it used to be suggested that they could be disrupted by gunfire - but again, I do not remember ever hearing of it being successful.

As far as cyclones go, I can see two problems - firstly, the energy involved in a cyclone suggests that the size of explosion required would violate treaties against atmospheric nuclear explosions, and secondly, that any explosion, particularly of that size, involves a massive increase in temperature, which would result in a violent updraft, and this would only increase the violence of the cyclone.

The overall problem with this method is that the increase in pressure would only be momentary. While this may disrupt a tornado, if you managed to get it in exactly the right place, I can't see it having more than a momentary effect in most cases.

John

[V8Ian]

Who's going to light the fuse?

[Landy110]

If someone tries it I want to see video !!!

Maybe a cement truck, Mythbuster style!

[Jay]

Hahahaha,

Myth busters is the go....

I have been in a few hurricanes while living in Florida. I could see something like this working on a tornado or water spout on a very temporary basis. I think it would move on and touch down again.

The Hurricane (cyclones etc) have an enormous amount of depth and momentum. I think an explosion would do nothing. If the explosion was big enough to dissipate a hurricane. Mate...... there would not be much left of anything.

Jay

[dullbird]

I'm assuming for this to work in a tornado you would have to get it in the middle! how would you do that with everything spinning on the outside

wouldn't it just get swept up and cycle round with the rest of the debris

[Blknight.aus]

I got the idea after watching part of a doco..

these nutters fly herc c-130's into huge storm cells to get weather info.

I got to thinking. Why not load that puppy up with some huge mass air ordenance bombs and drop em off in the middle....

[d@rk51d3]

Actually, they drop in the stuff that they make disposable nappies out of.
It sucks up all the moisture, becomes a dense mass, and the tornado literally drops out of the sky.


Would leave a hell of a mess though.