Does a big storm dissipate heat

or just redistribute it?

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4 replies	Author	Time	Post
Does a big storm dissipate heat (Original post)	pscot	Oct 2012	OP
What would you consider the difference to be?	caraher	Oct 2012	#1
I'm thinking in terms of global warming	pscot	Oct 2012	#2
In that case, I'd say it just redistributes energy	caraher	Oct 2012	#3
It doesn't remove energy from the planet, but it does cool it a little.	sir pball	Oct 2012	#4

Response to pscot (Original post)

Mon Oct 29, 2012, 10:15 PM

caraher (3,583 posts)

1. What would you consider the difference to be?

I'm not sure I understand the question...

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Response to caraher (Reply #1)

Mon Oct 29, 2012, 10:32 PM

pscot (13,933 posts)

2. I'm thinking in terms of global warming

Ocean heat fuels these large storms. Does a hurricane cause heat to dissipate into space or does it just re distribute heat within the system? Is there a net cooling effect on the planet?

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Response to pscot (Reply #2)

Tue Oct 30, 2012, 12:14 AM

caraher (3,583 posts)

3. In that case, I'd say it just redistributes energy

The only physical mechanisms of heat transfer that applies to the energy balance between Earth and its surroundings (space) is radiation. Radiation really just depends on the temperature of the radiating body, and this storm doesn't make any real difference to Earth's temperature.

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Response to pscot (Reply #2)

Tue Oct 30, 2012, 11:21 AM

sir pball (1,152 posts)

4. It doesn't remove energy from the planet, but it does cool it a little.

Storms convert heat energy to other forms, mostly wind - the total energy contained in the system doesn't change, but the temperature does decrease. A tiny bit. Not enough to affect global warming, though.

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