Controlling hurricanes

The use of sophisticated weather-forecasting models that closely reproduce the complex internal processes crucial to the development of severe tropical storms for simulating hurricanes by meteorological researchers is discussed. These massive, chaotic systems are susceptible to minor changes in their initial conditions such as the air temperature and humidity near the center of the storm and in the surrounding regions. The researchers are investigating what modifications to a hurricane could weaken its wind or divert it from populated areas by using complex mathematical optimization techniques. These studies could provide practical methods for intervening in the life cycle of hurricanes to protect life and property, if successful.