Hurricanes and Oil Spills

From the Houston Chronicles Science Blog

With the rapid onset of hurricane season (just 10 days now) I've been receiving lots of questions about the effects, if any, of the Gulf oil slick on hurricane activity.

The answer is something of a mystery to scientists, as well. Those interested in modifying hurricanes (a fruitless task, by the way) have long contemplated covering the surface of an ocean with a substance, thereby blocking evaporation as a means of cutting off a storm's access to "fuel" for intensification. Oil is one such substance.

For answers I turned to state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon, who can be found at Climate Abyss.

Click the image above to read the Q/A.