# Could a 20 megaton nuclear... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328 "2005-08-30T20:49:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/1 "2005-08-30T20:49:09Z")
Could a 20 megaton nuclear bomb (the most powerful device ever produced in the US) dropped into the eye of a hurricane over the North Atlantic Ocean wipe it out? ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/2 "2005-08-30T20:52:44Z")
> [@grienspace](#): > > Could a 20 megaton nuclear bomb (the most powerful device ever produced in the US) dropped into the eye of a hurricane over the North Atlantic Ocean wipe it out? George W. Bush is not ruling out any options. In fact, he hopes to be able to fight hurricanes on \*two \* fronts. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/3 "2005-08-30T20:52:46Z")
IMAO, all you’d get would be a radioactive hurricane. All the heat generated by the bomb would tend to make the updrafts worse. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/4 "2005-08-30T20:54:01Z")
I’ve seen this asked before, and the answer is no - a hurricane contains way way more power than a nuclear blast delivers. ---
**Author:** ![Future\_days](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cab0a1/32.png) [@Future\_days](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Future_days)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/5 "2005-08-30T20:57:42Z")
What an insane question. You’d get radioactive material scattered over the entire country! ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/6 "2005-08-30T21:02:44Z")
Paradoxically, Chaos Theory says that you could theoretically stop the hurricane by tracking down and swatting (or preserving) a [butterfly](http://www.imho.com/grae/chaos/chaos.html). The trick is finding the right butterfly. ---
**Author:** ![Future\_days](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cab0a1/32.png) [@Future\_days](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Future_days)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/7 "2005-08-30T21:04:49Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Paradoxically, Chaos Theory says that you could theoretically stop the hurricane by tracking down and swatting (or preserving) a [butterfly](http://www.imho.com/grae/chaos/chaos.html). The trick is finding the right butterfly. Chaos theory is wrong, I think the weather has been proven to be a bit less chaotic that once thought. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/8 "2005-08-30T21:40:43Z")
> [@Future days](#): > > Chaos theory is wrong, I think the weather has been proven to be a bit less chaotic that once thought. Don’t let Mr. Malcolm hear you say that! ---
**Author:** ![elsquid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de053/32.png) [@elsquid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elsquid)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/9 "2005-08-30T22:39:51Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Paradoxically, Chaos Theory says that you could theoretically stop the hurricane by tracking down and swatting (or preserving) a [butterfly](http://www.imho.com/grae/chaos/chaos.html). The trick is finding the right butterfly. The butterfly has been determined to be somewhere near Baghdad. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/10 "2005-08-30T22:44:44Z")
> [@Future days](#): > > Chaos theory is wrong, I think the weather has been proven to be a bit less chaotic that once thought. I’m not doubting you, but do you have a cite? I wasn’t aware anyone had really sussed out weather yet. ---
**Author:** ![Future\_days](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cab0a1/32.png) [@Future\_days](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Future_days)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/11 "2005-08-30T22:46:35Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > I’m not doubting you, but do you have a cite? I wasn’t aware anyone had really sussed out weather yet. They havent sussed it out completely because it is very complicated, but solar flares and sunspots play a major part in weather patterns. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/12 "2005-08-31T00:23:28Z")
[Cecil speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_435.html) (briefly, at the end of the article) on the subject of hurricanes & H-bombs. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/13 "2005-08-31T05:14:37Z")
You’d have better results dropping a quantity of Dry Ice or silver iodide in the eye wall. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/14 "2005-08-31T06:24:12Z")
> [@Future days](#): > > They havent sussed it out completely because it is very complicated, but solar flares and sunspots play a major part in weather patterns. …not wanting to hijack this thread further, but, so what? Solar flares and sunspots become part of the chaotic system. That doesn’t disporove chaos theory. “The butterfly effect” was simply the easiest way to demonstrate chaos to the wider public, not the “be all and end all” of chaos theory. I would be interested in seeing your evidence that chaos theory is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/15 "2005-08-31T15:35:37Z")
> [@Future days](#): > > They havent sussed it out completely because it is very complicated, but solar flares and sunspots play a major part in weather patterns. OK, now [I’m doubting you.](http://www.weather2000.com/faq/faq_integrity.html) The very most you can say is that solar activity seems to have some connection with long term climate changes. Probably for the rather obvious reason that if the sun undergoes a change in brightness, that will also affect the number of sunspots and solar flares. As far as day-to-day weather goes, the only real correlation is that when there’s an impressive auroral display, it will be cloudy or raining wherever I am with a 95% probability. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/16 "2005-08-31T16:24:07Z")
> [@Future days](#): > > Chaos theory is wrong, I think the weather has been proven to be a bit less chaotic that once thought. Ok, two butterflys then. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/17 "2005-08-31T16:50:28Z")
Large influences like solar activity can indeed affect weather patterns, but only in a very broad sense. One might be able to predict how severe, on average, hurricanes will be over a span of many years, or how many, on average, one might get per year. One might similarly predict average temperatures, rainfall levels, cloud cover, and the like. But these are all only broad averages. One still cannot predict where the next hurricane will strike, or how hot it will be two weeks from now, or how much snowfall we’ll get this winter. This is typical of chaotic systems: One can often predict long-term or large scale averages, but not specific details. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/18 "2005-08-31T17:04:28Z")
This question gets asked pretty much every time there’s a large hurricane: > **[Could an Atomic Bomb stop a Hurricane?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=274485)** > > So, If we dropped a nuclear bomb somewhere near Frances (the hurricane, not the Talking Mule) would that have any effect on it at all? How about several nukes? Seems like a litle danger of fallout in the open sea would be preferable to billions of... > **[Can nuclear weapons be used to stop a hurricane?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=255086)** > > When a hurricane is still at sea and is heading for land, can we just stop it using a bomb? The main idea is that whenever a hurricane hits land, it can result in billions of dollars in damages. So, instead of just sitting there and waiting for it to... (answer from this thread: [TCFAQ C5c) Why don't we try to destroy tropical cyclones by nuking](http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C5c.html)) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=273485](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=273485) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=42521](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=42521) ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/19 "2005-08-31T17:40:42Z")
All the butterfly thing really meant that every input into the system marginally changed the outcome. It never meant that the butterfly caused the hurricane, but that had that butterfly not flapped its wings right them, the hurricane would ave occured in an ever-so slightly distinct manner. Which, if you think about it, is a pretty bland and banal statement. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328/20 "2005-08-31T18:15:16Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > All the butterfly thing really meant that every input into the system marginally changed the outcome. It never meant that the butterfly caused the hurricane, but that had that butterfly not flapped its wings right them, the hurricane would ave occured in an ever-so slightly distinct manner. > > Which, if you think about it, is a pretty bland and banal statement. You’re misunderstanding what it means for a system to be chaotic. Chaotic behavior means that a very small change in the initial inputs (the “initial conditions”) can cause huge differences down the line, in a seemingly unpredictable manner. It does _not_ simply mean that small changes in the initial conditions cause similarly small changes in the resulting states, which would, as you point out, be rather trivial. The example with the buttefly says that if the butterfly had not flapped its wings, the hurricane might have occurred in a _radically_ different manner, or not at all. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-20-megaton-nuclear/319328.md?page=2)