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



The high winds of a water spout (tornado) would certainly cause rough waves that would inject droplets into the air rushing into the low pressure core. However, there is not a major transport of water upwards in a water spout. The visual surface of the water spout is not like water rushing up a straw. It is where the air outside the column flows into the low pressure region around the core and cools to the condensation point - giving the appearence of a solid column of water. The air above the water is probably pretty humid before it enters the column of rotating air.

Bob at PC
________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Brian Whatcott [betwys1@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 9:16 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: 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
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