Splitting the Clouds

SLAM: debunk creationism, pseudoscience, and superstitions. Discuss logic and morality.

Moderator: Alyrium Denryle

Post Reply
User avatar
SAMAS
Mecha Fanboy
Posts: 4078
Joined: 2002-10-20 09:10pm

Splitting the Clouds

Post by SAMAS »

This may be a little too Sci-Fi, so please move it if necessary.

In episode 5 of Gundam 00 (available on YouTube here), the Gundam Exia uses a single sword swing to part the clouds and give the Gundam Dynames a clear shot at a target in orbit.

This is far from the first time I've seen something like this happen in a story, but I was curious: How much force is actually needed to rapidly force clouds to move apart like that?
Image
Not an armored Jigglypuff

"I salute your genetic superiority, now Get off my planet!!" -- Adam Stiener, 1st Somerset Strikers
User avatar
Enigma
is a laughing fool.
Posts: 7777
Joined: 2003-04-30 10:24pm
Location: c nnyhjdyt yr 45

Re: Splitting the Clouds

Post by Enigma »

I'm interested in it also but for a different reason. In an episode of Smallville, Clark gains the ability to use super breath and manages to part the clouds creating a clearing in a circular pattern. In other words, he made a cloud donut. :)
ASVS('97)/SDN('03)

"Whilst human alchemists refer to the combustion triangle, some of their orcish counterparts see it as more of a hexagon: heat, fuel, air, laughter, screaming, fun." Dawn of the Dragons

ASSCRAVATS!
User avatar
Beowulf
The Patrician
Posts: 10619
Joined: 2002-07-04 01:18am
Location: 32ULV

Re: Splitting the Clouds

Post by Beowulf »

Splitting clouds has nothing to do with force, and everything to do with drying out the atmosphere. If you've got convective clouds going, it's plausible there's no amount of force you could apply, as by the time the air you moved got to altitude (cooling all the way), your air would be just as moist as the air your trying to move to cause the clouds to split. IOW, it may be a cool looking effect, but the only way you're actually going to manage it is to heat the cloud up enough to cause the dew point depression to massively increase.
"preemptive killing of cops might not be such a bad idea from a personal saftey[sic] standpoint..." --Keevan Colton
"There's a word for bias you can't see: Yours." -- William Saletan
User avatar
Hawkwings
Sith Devotee
Posts: 3372
Joined: 2005-01-28 09:30pm
Location: USC, LA, CA

Re: Splitting the Clouds

Post by Hawkwings »

So then it becomes a problem of how fast you need to swing your sword in order to friction heat the air to above the local dew point.
Vendetta wrote:Richard Gatling was a pioneer in US national healthcare. On discovering that most soldiers during the American Civil War were dying of disease rather than gunshots, he turned his mind to, rather than providing better sanitary conditions and medical care for troops, creating a machine to make sure they got shot faster.
User avatar
Ariphaos
Jedi Council Member
Posts: 1739
Joined: 2005-10-21 02:48am
Location: Twin Cities, MN, USA
Contact:

Re: Splitting the Clouds

Post by Ariphaos »

Look at the Castle Bravo test. It works - it certainly disrupts the cloud layer. But it just creates more clouds - moisture gets pushed away, concentrating into decks that form, get obliterated, but are already in the process of being obscured by the formation of the next deck. And that was a 15 megaton blast.

What you really need is dry air.
Give fire to a man, and he will be warm for a day.
Set him on fire, and he will be warm for life.
User avatar
Enigma
is a laughing fool.
Posts: 7777
Joined: 2003-04-30 10:24pm
Location: c nnyhjdyt yr 45

Re: Splitting the Clouds

Post by Enigma »

Xeriar wrote:Look at the Castle Bravo test. It works - it certainly disrupts the cloud layer. But it just creates more clouds - moisture gets pushed away, concentrating into decks that form, get obliterated, but are already in the process of being obscured by the formation of the next deck. And that was a 15 megaton blast.

What you really need is dry air.
What about the method used in Smallville?
ASVS('97)/SDN('03)

"Whilst human alchemists refer to the combustion triangle, some of their orcish counterparts see it as more of a hexagon: heat, fuel, air, laughter, screaming, fun." Dawn of the Dragons

ASSCRAVATS!
User avatar
Ariphaos
Jedi Council Member
Posts: 1739
Joined: 2005-10-21 02:48am
Location: Twin Cities, MN, USA
Contact:

Re: Splitting the Clouds

Post by Ariphaos »

What's in Superman's lungs is really up to author or at least character design fiat. If he breathes out a lot of hot, dry air, it'll act like any other high-pressure zone, pushing away clouds, etc.
Give fire to a man, and he will be warm for a day.
Set him on fire, and he will be warm for life.
Post Reply