Hypercane

2008-07-24T16:59:36Z

69.116.91.38: typo

A '''hypercane''' is a hypothetical class of extreme [[tropical cyclone]] that could form if ocean temperatures reached around 50° [[Celsius]] (122° [[Fahrenheit]])—15° higher than the warmest ocean temperature ever recorded<ref>[http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Water/temp.html&edu=high Temperature of Ocean Water, Windows to the Universe]</ref>—which could in turn be caused by a large [[asteroid]] or [[comet]] impact, a large [[volcano|volcanic]] or [[supervolcano|supervolcanic]] eruption, or very extensive [[global warming]].<ref>[http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=30308 The Dawn of the Hypercane?]</ref> There is some speculation that some [[dinosaur]]s might have been killed off by a series of hypercanes, resulting from an asteroid or comet crashing into [[Earth]].<ref>[http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14519632.600-did-storms-land-the-dinosaurs-in-hot-water.html Did storms land the dinosaurs in hot water?]</ref> The term was originally coined by atmospheric scientist [[Kerry Emanuel]] in 1994, at [[MIT]]. .<ref name="MIT">[http://wind.mit.edu/~emanuel/holem/holem.html Limits on Hurricane Intensity]</ref><ref>[http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/1995/95JD01368.shtml Hypercanes: A Possible Link to Global Extinction Scenarios]</ref>

==Physical description==
Hypercanes would have wind speeds of over 800 kilometers per hour (500-600+ miles per hour; 130 [[m/s]]), and would also have a central pressure of less than 700 [[hectopascal]]s, giving them an enormous lifespan.<ref name="MIT" /> The extreme conditions needed to create such a storm could conceivably produce a system up to the size of [[North America]], creating storm surges of {{ft to m|60}} and an eye nearly {{mi to km|200}} across. The waters could remain hot enough for weeks, allowing more hypercanes to be formed. A hypercane's clouds would reach 20 miles into the [[stratosphere]]. A hypercane would also damage the earth's [[ozone]].<ref name="MIT" />

==Hypercanes in fiction==
The [[anime]] ''[[Tactical Roar]]'' uses a fictional hypercane in the [[Pacific Ocean]] as a pretext to showcase naval battles, which are the series' focus.

The Sci-Fi TV Show, [[Stargate Atlantis]], Featured a Hypercane that threatened to destroy Atlantis in an episode titled " The Storm "

''[[The Future is Wild]]'' features hypercanes during the Pangaea II period of Earth, 200,000,000 years in the future.

==See also==
{{tcportal}}
* [[Tropical cyclone]]
* [[Global warming]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.history.com/shows.do?episodeId=295766&action=detail Mega Disasters, Season 3: Hypercane]

[[Category:Tropical cyclone meteorology]]

{{weather-stub}}

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Hypercane