Did ‘microwave pulses’ create Yolanda (Haiyan)? There is a video making the rounds on the Internet about how Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) was created by “microwave pulses.” Attempts at weather modification – the intentional manipulation of weather disturbances – is not new in human history. Even until now, some people would attest to religious interventions on weather disturbances. Scientifically, we know the conditions needed for typhoon formation, and by altering any or some of these conditions, it follows that there could be an effect on typhoons. Some basic science first. Clouds are essentially made up of small liquid water particles. How small? It takes more or less a million cloud water droplets to clump together to form a single raindrop. Two things needed for clouds to form in the sky: one, rising warm, humid air, and two, the presence of small particles, or aerosols. To manipulate weather, in essence we need to manipulate clouds, either by doing something about the warm air, or the particles. ‘Microwave pulse’ - Now, on to the YouTube video. Even if we are able to change the temperature of certain parts of a cyclone sufficiently, temperature is just one of the many conditions needed for formation and intensification of tropical cyclones. And supposing all conditions are met, it still does not mean that a cyclone will necessarily form. The video merely showed conjectures, not evidence. The Philippines is in the path of tropical cyclones forming in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Statistically, the path of Yolanda is “normal” for our northeast monsoon season, and it just so happened that the right conditions were met by Yolanda to intensify to such a monster typhoon. Effects of air pollution In the recent decades, we, human beings, have also been inadvertently modifying our weather and climate system. On top of the list is the continuous emission of greenhouse gases, resulting to warmer surface temperature. Large cities are getting warmer compared to the countryside, since buildings and roads heat up more compared to grass and trees, in a phenomenon called the Urban Heat Island effect. Right now, there are still no methods that can be used effectively for willful control of weather that is accepted by mainstream science.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 21:03:38 +0000
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