Hypercane

2008-08-25T03:34:13Z

69.204.77.151: /* Physical description */

A '''hypercane''' is a hypothetical class of extreme [[tropical cyclone]] that could form if ocean temperatures reached around {{convert|50|°C|°F}} —15° higher than the warmest ocean temperature ever recorded<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Water/temp.html&edu=high |title=Temperature of Ocean Water |publisher=[[University Corporation for Atmospheric Research]] |work=Windows to the Universe |date=2001-08-31 |accessdate=2008-07-24}}</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>{{cite web |url=http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=30308 |title=The Dawn of the Hypercane? |first=Stephen |last=Leahy |publisher=[[Inter Press Service]] |date=2005-09-16 |accessdate=2008-07-24}}</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>{{cite journal |title=Did storms land the dinosaurs in hot water? |first=Jeff |last=Hecht |journal=[[New Scientist]] |date=1995-02-04 |url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14519632.600-did-storms-land-the-dinosaurs-in-hot-water.html |issue=1963 |pages=p. 16 |accessdate=2008-07-24 }}</ref> The term was coined by atmospheric scientist [[Kerry Emanuel]] in 1994, at [[MIT]].<ref name="MIT">{{cite web |url=http://wind.mit.edu/~emanuel/holem/holem.html |title=Limits on Hurricane Intensity |first=Kerry |last=Emanuel |publisher=[[Center for Meteorology and Physical Oceanography ]], [[MIT]] |date=1996-09-16 |accessdate=2008-07-24 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Hypercanes: A Possible Link to Global Extinction Scenarios |first=Kerry |last=Emanuel |coauthors=Kevin Speer, Richard Rotunno, Ramesh Srivastava, Mario Molina |journal= |date=1998-03-22 |volume=100 |issue=D7 |pages=pp. 13755–13765 |journal=[[Journal of Geophysical Research]] |url=http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/1995/95JD01368.shtml |accessdate=2008-07-24 }}</ref>

==Physical description==
Hypercanes would have wind speeds of over {{convert|800|km/h|mph}}, and would also have a central pressure of less than {{convert|700|hPa|inHg|abbr=off|lk=on}}, 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 surge]]s of {{convert|18|m|ft|abbr=off|lk=off}} and an eye nearly {{convert|300|km|mi|abbr=off|lk=off}} across. The waters could remain hot enough for weeks, allowing more hypercanes to be formed. A hypercane's clouds would reach {{convert|30|km|mi}} into the [[stratosphere]]. A hypercane would also damage the earth's [[ozone]].<ref name="MIT" /> The reason for this is the water molecules sent up into the [[ozone]] layer merge with the [[ultraviolet light]] repelling particles and disintegrate the particles, creating a hole in the vicinity. Other scientists have theorized that the system, compared to a normal [[hurricane]], would be considerably smaller, about 10 miles in diameter. This would more comparable to a [[tornado]], which can top out to about a mile and a half in diameter.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{tcportal}}

[[Category:Tropical cyclone meteorology]]

{{weather-stub}}

Hypercane

2008-07-26T03:38:38Z

69.204.77.151: /* Physical description */

A '''hypercane''' is a hypothetical class of extreme [[tropical cyclone]] that could form if ocean temperatures reached around {{convert|50|°C|°F}} —15° higher than the warmest ocean temperature ever recorded<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Water/temp.html&edu=high |title=Temperature of Ocean Water |publisher=[[University Corporation for Atmospheric Research]] |work=Windows to the Universe |date=2001-08-31 |accessdate=2008-07-24}}</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>{{cite web |url=http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=30308 |title=The Dawn of the Hypercane? |first=Stephen |last=Leahy |publisher=[[Inter Press Service]] |date=2005-09-16 |accessdate=2008-07-24}}</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>{{cite journal |title=Did storms land the dinosaurs in hot water? |first=Jeff |last=Hecht |journal=[[New Scientist]] |date=1995-02-04 |url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14519632.600-did-storms-land-the-dinosaurs-in-hot-water.html |issue=1963 |pages=p. 16 |accessdate=2008-07-24 }}</ref> The term was originally coined by atmospheric scientist [[Kerry Emanuel]] in 1994, at [[MIT]].<ref name="MIT">{{cite web |url=http://wind.mit.edu/~emanuel/holem/holem.html |title=Limits on Hurricane Intensity |first=Kerry |last=Emanuel |publisher=[[Center for Meteorology and Physical Oceanography ]], [[MIT]] |date=1996-09-16 |accessdate=2008-07-24 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Hypercanes: A Possible Link to Global Extinction Scenarios |first=Kerry |last=Emanuel |coauthors=Kevin Speer, Richard Rotunno, Ramesh Srivastava, Mario Molina |journal= |date=1998-03-22 |volume=100 |issue=D7 |pages=pp. 13755–13765 |journal=[[Journal of Geophysical Research]] |url=http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/1995/95JD01368.shtml |accessdate=2008-07-24 }}</ref>

==Physical description==
Hypercanes would have wind speeds of over {{convert|800|km/h|mph}}, 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 {{convert|20|mi|km}} into the [[stratosphere]]. A hypercane would also damage the earth's [[ozone]].<ref name="MIT" /> The reason for this is the water molecules sent up into the [[ozone]] layer merge with the [[ultraviolet light]] repelling particles the and disintegrate the particles, creating a hole in the vicinity.

==In popular culture==
{{trivia|date=July 2008}}
* 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 [[science-fiction]] [[television series]], ''[[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.
* In the 2002 novel ''Minutes to Burn'', by [[Gregg Andrew Hurwitz]], hypercanes occur every three to four months after increased tectonic activity and a depleted [[ozone layer]] resulted in the tropical ocean raising in temperature.<ref>{{cite book |title=Minutes to Burn |first=Gregg Andrew |last=Hurwitz |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=0061015512 |chapter=Chapter 7 |pages=p.52 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{tcportal}}

[[Category:Tropical cyclone meteorology]]

{{weather-stub}}

IdeaWazaWiki - User contributions [en]

Hypercane

Hypercane