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Re: [Phys-l] Entrainment of oil in Hurricane?



Peter Schoch wrote:
I was engaged in a discussion about the oil spill in the gulf with a local meteorologist, and we discussed the possible storm surge effects of oil being pushed up rivers, etc. He then asked me if it was possible that oil could be 'sucked into the storm' and then rain out over the inland regions.

I object to his terminology of 'sucked into', I prefer entrained. However, the possibility is intriguing. With lower pressure, shouldn't the top layers of the gulf (and thus the oil) be entrained into the hurricane and thus be 'rained out' over the inland regions causing an even greater ecological problem?!

My fluid dynamics is a bit rusty, so I'd like anyone else's input.

Thanks,
Peter
Water-spouts happen, no doubt. And if such a spout traversed a slick, then the slick would surely be sucked up. But I had imagined that the major avenue for water transport is via evaporation - something that oil is not so good at.
Still, if it can rain "cats and dogs" as apparently it can, along with a variety of other unlikely objects, then oil, sludge and tar are no more unlikely to occur there.

Brian W