Remember, that crashing waves might well be an important factor to consider in lifetime of the floating material. The approach has to limit evaporation, not so much heat transfer, and it is a bit hard to see how one would cover the waves in any sort of continuous way without a much larger amount than just to cover smooth water with a thin layer. I might add that, as I understand it, Kerry Emanuel actually did some experiments on doing this sort of thing (with an organic fluid) 5-10 years ago, and did not find success‹it is very likely a lot harder than it might seem.
Mike MacCracken On 8/14/09 8:48 PM, "Andrew Lockley" <andrew.lock...@gmail.com> wrote: > After a couple of days all the Special K sank. I think this is rather neat. > It gives you a couple of days to whiten and insulate the ocean - just long > enough to mess up a hurricane. Then it can either end up as food for > bottom-feeders or it will sequester the carbon. > > I think it could be worth a sea trial. If anyone lives near a relatively > secluded harbour and can afford to invest in a few boxes of breakfast cereal, > it would be a very cheap geoeng experiment. Perhaps we can attempt to > calculate from first principles whether Rice Krispies or Sugar Puffs would be > the best. Will the Honey Monster or the GRRRRRREAT Tiger save Florida most > effectively? > > An alternative is sawdust or matchwood, which would be more resilient and > would have better insulating properties as it would float out of the water and > is non-porous. However, it's not as short lived, which may be a problem. > > I have to admit it would be extremely amusing if such a ridiculous idea > actually works. > > A > > 2009/8/13 Oliver Wingenter <oliver.wingen...@gmail.com> >> >> Dear Andrew, >> >> If the water temperature is warmer than the air you will insulate the >> water and make it warmer. What color will the Special K be after a >> few days if it is eat? What happens to the (additional) fish near the >> surface when the hurricane comes? If not the cooling effect will >> increase the mixed layer depth and this will have an additional >> cooling effect. >> >> Evaporation may increase because the surface area of the Special K is >> higher than the water. Worth checking this out. >> >> Pick a substance that will break down in a few days and is benign. >> There is a natural organic scum on the sea surface already. If you >> add to it, you will alter bubble bursting and air-sea transfer. >> >> Good luck, >> >> Oliver Wingenter >> >> >> >> >> On Aug 12, 5:50 pm, Andrew Lockley <andrew.lock...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> > I tested my theory that breakfast cereals could disrupt hurricanes with a >>> > very small experiment. >>> > I got some Kellog's Special K and floated it in briny water for 36 hours. >>> I >>> > tried two versions: soaked in olive oil, and dry. Both samples remained >>> > afloat, just under the surface of the water, at the end of the experiment. >>> > >>> > I suggest that this will make a significant difference to heat transfer >>> into >>> > the hurricane, by a variety of mechanisms: >>> > 1) Increasing albedo (Special K is pale yellow) which will reduce solar >>> > heating of the sea >>> > 2) Impeding circulation on small scales near the surface, reducing >>> > evaporation >>> > 3) Oil-mixed cereal may reduce evaporation directly, by reducing the wet >>> > surface area >>> > 4) A continuous oil layer will reduce wave disturbance, thus reducing >>> > effective surface area. >>> > >>> > I think this idea is worthy of some further consideration. I really hope >>> > someone can comment on the idea. It seems pretty cheap and >>> environmentally >>> > benign to me. >>> > >>> > A >> > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to geoengineering@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to geoengineering+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
