Can we control the weather (or hurricanes?)

Written by: Bob Metcalfe

Myself, along with most other meteorologists classify myself as quite a nerd. Science is was always my favorite subject in school, and any science class was the highlight of my day (especially earth science.) I am very excited to say that tonight marks the start of "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel, arguably one of the best weeks in all of television.

Anyways, when I went to Discovery's website, I saw a clickable link titled "Control a Superstorm." Well of course I had to click it! What a cool little program they made. Using a number of parameters such as cloud seeding, or "oil slicking" the ocean you can see the possible effects these would have on the track and strength of an Atlantic hurricane as it approaches the Florida coastline.

I have read several articles, most of which are theory based, about weather modification. MUCH needs to be done in the way of research before it could be considered safe or effective, but it is an interesting area in the up-and-coming world of meteorology. There are obvious arguments for and against it, and its easy to see this from both sides of the field. It's an interesting topic, and I suggest you try the little program on Discovery's website.

If you're a reader like me, you can also pick up the book "Category 7" by Bill Evans. He's a television meteorologist from New York City that combined fact and fiction to make a great easy read.

But I have to ask. If weather is so unpredictable, what will it be like when we start modifying it?!