Scientists To Stake Out World's Hurricane Nursery

New Scientist ^ | 7-27-2006 | Jeff Hecht

[blam]

Scientists to stake out world's hurricane nursery

14:26 27 July 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Jeff Hecht

A map of 2004 hurricane paths shows the point where each storm was recognised as a tropical depression. Almost all major hurricanes begin as low pressure wavefronts coming off the African coast (Image: US National Hurricane Center)

Scientists will spend the peak of the North Atlantic hurricane season focusing a fleet of satellites, a dedicated research aircraft, and ground-based radars on belts of thunderstorms and low pressure moving westwards from the tropical African coast.

The aim is to find out why and how about 10% of these disturbances grow into potentially devastating named hurricanes and tropical storms as they cross the ocean.

The project was announced on Wednesday and will run from 15 August to mid-September and involves scientists from NASA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and US universities.

[Izzy Dunne]

Not to worry - by the time they figure it out, Rove will be out of office.

[blam]

[bukkdems]

I have a half-baked conspiracy theory that Islamists have built a huge circular open-air building housing fans to blow counter clockwise. When conditions are right (a low pressure wave is crossing over) they build a huge fire and turn on the fans to launch a hurricane.

[MikeA]

I know the MSM is really disappointed that there's only been one Atlantic/Carribean hurricane so far. They were so looking forward to blaming Bush for another disaster to take away from the 9-11 5th anniversary. They're probably so disappointed they're trying to figure out ways to let more CO2 out into the atmosphere.

[TheLion]

I was recently reading an older article article in Scientific American, about controlling hurricanes. Maybe the place to start is where they are hatched, or where they are becoming a depression. Waiting until they are hurricanes is too late, imo.

[Tennessee_Bob]

I have a half-baked conspiracy

Dude - come on - no need to try to cover for Rove here. We all know about the weather machine that he's using, so just drop the "I've got a theory" bit, ok? You're among friends here.

[Doctor Stochastic]

The "Out of Africa" theory?

[Howlin]

On/Off Hurricane Ping list, mash ---> .

[Dog Gone]

They can start off by checking this puppy.

[Condor51]

The aim is to find out why and how about 10% of these disturbances grow into potentially devastating named hurricanes and tropical storms as they cross the ocean.

Stoo-pid^™ so-called 'scientists'.

Everyone knows most hurricanes are caused by Karl Rove and his Halliburton Weather Machine^©

[Gabz]

I've gotten to know a couple of guys that do work for NOAA and NASA at Wallops Island, dealing specifically with weather........I wish I had known about this yesterday because I saw one of them last night. I won't see any of them now until next week though.

[Darlin']

LOL

[doc30]

I know the MSM is really disappointed that there's only been one Atlantic/Carribean hurricane so far.

It's too early in hurricane season to say what it will be like. THe upswing in activity begins mid August. Don't forget, Andrew was end of August and, in 2004, Charley was mid August. Late Aug and Sept have traditionally been the busy months.

[Mo1]

I know the MSM is really disappointed that there's only been one Atlantic/Carribean hurricane so far

I'm surprised we haven't been hearing shark stories/attacks like we've heard for the last 6 years

[RNO1]

Well for one. I am very happy that so far this year they have not appeared...I get really tired of having to leave my home. We live in an area that is first to evacuate...Plus having to secure my boat in the marina...
I am not sure all the studying in the world is going to change how big they get or how many times we get hit...Maybe they might learn ways to give earlier warning...Then again some here will not leave anyway...One thing for sure in Florida under Jeb things get taken care of without all the blame games...Folks down here step in and help one another...Plus we keep up to a week of supplies just in case....

[hotshu]

blam,

This is nothing new!

As a long time Gulf Coast resident (I know you are too), I remember Nash Roberts on WDSU-TV in New Orleans back in the sixties referring to the "Cave of Storms" on the west coast of Africa.

If they think '04 is big, they should go back and look at '63, '64, '96 and '98. Although some of the storms didn't get "named" until further westward, most of those storms floated from the African coast. It's called thermodynamics interacting with geography with a bit of physics thrown in for good measure.

[Howlin]

Oh, boy.

[Dog Gone]

We've seen several similar ones earlier that looked potentially menacing, but they all died out before developing a closed low.

But, August is generally the start of the Cape Verde storm train, and that's next week.

[Howlin]

Did you say storm train?

http://www.weather.com/maps/news/atlstorm9/africasatellite_large.html