Cloud Seeding Could Cool Off Seas Where Hurricanes Form, Making Them Weaker
Tropical Storm Issac Growing This image from NASA's GOES-13 satellite shows two active cyclones in the Atlantic -- tropical storm Issac, which will likely be a hurricane by late Thursday, and a new tropical depression. NASA Hurricanes form in warm tropical waters, drawing strength from the heat of the ocean surface - that's why they are expected to worsen as sea surface temperatures increase. But if we could cool them off, they may chill out and decrease in strength. Cloud seeding the areas in front of their path might be a way to do this, a new study says. The idea is to target marine stratocumulus clouds, which cover about a fourth of the world's oceans. Reflecting more light away from the sea surface would theoretically prevent it from getting as warm. "Then there will be less energy to feed the hurricanes," said Alan Gadian of the University of Leeds. In this...