Weather and Oil

The oilspill and the coming hurricane season makes me wonder about a lot of stuff.
So I want to put down some questions on ATS that I couldn't find in another thread (yet).

If you look at the weather patterns according to hurricanes we all know that the fuel of a hurricane is warm moisture pickup above the sea. My questions about this are;

- Is the accumulating energy in a hurricane speed up or slowed down by the oil?
- Can the gulf of mexico be warmer as usual because of the darkned color os the oil?
- What will be the effect on the regional weather surrounding the gulf?
- Can a hurrican fueled by oil and water have more energy stored than a normal, water, one and so, be much stronger than usual?
- Does the oil, when falling as rain, be as fluid as water, or does it stick on things? (roofs can collapse if there is more weight attached to it)?
- Can the vaporized oil still burn? Can it be set on fire by lightning? In the air, or only on the ground (if the droplets are to small and wide spread for a "airburn"?

I can imagen things will be different, the question will be if it noticeble. I haven't found any analysis on this yet, only a few remarks, so if you all can help me, and the inhabitants of the gulf region, out? thank you.

reply to post by Dumbass


The oil wont have any effect on the weather that I can think of. Most of the hurricanes energy comes from the warmer waters of the carribean and of the coast of western africa. Im pretty sure that you wont have oil falling as rain at all.....unless small particulates are evaporated via normal water evap.

That is where te hurricanes origin yes. But we all have viewed in history, that some hurricanes "refuell" at the gulf before hitting main land.
Second is the plumes of oil make the water less clear. So the top layer will receive more energy the bottom layer less, than with normal clear water? So the top part, that is in contact with the hurrican can be warmer and so, will contain more energy.

Oil as rain: Is It Raining Oil In Florida? This Is Just The Beginning

I'm not sure there will be no difference at all, that is why I started this thread, as there are not so many variables you can change without having a change.

reply to post by Dumbass


That thread is incorrect

Oil can evaporate but the boling point for it is high

When a liquid evaporates, its molecules must separate themselves from their attachment with others in the liquid and then move off into the air space above. Heating the liquid makes the molecules move faster and weakens their attachment to each other.

Nevertheless, the molecules in some kinds of liquids, like oil for example, are rather large and well-tangled up and attached to each other. This means that evaporation, if it occurs at all, is very slow. That is why cooking oil, even though sometimes heated to a very high temperature,
does not evaporate to an appreciable extent.

As you can see, by the above quotes by chemists, you need to heat the oil for it to evaporate. As it has a much higher boiling point then water, the is very little chance of it causing weather. And if by some miracle the oil does evaporate, its not going to be a quick process.

OK about the evaporation there is something explained in this thread:

2.9 Million Gallons Per Day + Toxic Rain Say Tehran Based Press TV

It is about the chemicals and acid rain. To reply to your quotes of the chemists, they do not say you need to boil it, as it gets warmer it accelaerates. What it does tell me about oil, if it will not evaporate, the oil will get warmer then the water would be and so keep the water warm, as it warms the water it surrounds.

I've had some of the same questions, in general. Thank you Dumbass for posting them. And, thank you Oz for giving your perspective. I'll be watching this thread.

It does seem logical to me that the presence of oil in the water would warm the water further, thereby increasing the intensities of hurricanes.

As far as oil evaporating into the atmosphere, I'm not sure this could happen, at least to any large degree. But, hurricanes could certainly pick up oil "mixed" (yeah I know oil and water don't mix) in the waters they are traveling over and dump it on land as they make landfall. Same for the dispersants in the water - the dispersants are what really bother me.

reply to post by Iamonlyhuman


I think Dumbass has raised some really good questions, but I will have to agree strongly with Iamonlyhuman....The dispersants are scary...they will evaporate...

With hurricane season coming, this is litteraly a black cloud looming over the south and eastern coasts of the US

reply to post by Dumbass


I don't know if you already watch hurricane track weather maps or not but you might be interested in the satellite imagery weather map I put in this thread:

Active Hurricane Map with Gulf Oil Spill Overlay – Good Maps to Watch!

I know I'll be watching closely.

reply to post by Iamonlyhuman


As a hurricane picks up its energy from the warm water it takes not only moisture in it also takes airborne droplets, oil will be flying in a wasmachine too . The dispreants are the great environmental danger, but i can't just ignore the oil. like you said, if a hurricane picks up some oildroplets and dump them on land, i'm still not sure what the oil will do, next to damaging the environment. I still think of fire, not armageddon or anything, but more oil leaking in electricty utilities etc. Or a thin film of oil on a highway etc. I'll be watching that link. thank you.

The first storm has arrived watch this thread presenting the unfolding tropical storm Alex:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Just collecting all physical weather patterns in this thread

How many threads are there on oil-hurricane-rain now?

Not enough?

reply to post by broahes


posted on 29th of may? what about it?

Originally posted by Dumbass
reply to post by broahes

 

posted on 29th of may? what about it?

Only pointing out the number of threads on the same subject.. as I do in all the rest of them. Wasn't out to offend dumbass.

reply to post by broahes


Sorry just being fed up, with the situation, besides regular personal stuff All most a month and still no answers, could be warmer, could be not, could be dry etc. It seems to me that profs of the "meteo" aren't ready to stick their neck out. Just don't want to sit and wait to say, you see we have a problem now.

spelling edit

[edit on 22-6-2010 by Dumbass]