1 year, 11 months ago
Mother Nature's Fury: could a water spout of oil hit by lightning become a fire tornado??
Stay with me here: If a hurricane strikes the gulf this year, sometimes the wind creates water spouts (small tornados on the water) which can actually be quite powerful.
Oil (and the fumes), as we know, is quite flamable. So if there's an oily water spout hit by lightning, is it possible that the result would be a fire tornado?
Oil (and the fumes), as we know, is quite flamable. So if there's an oily water spout hit by lightning, is it possible that the result would be a fire tornado?
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M$1 Answer
It would depend on the concentration of oil in the water spout . Crude oil is a mixture of different molecules that . have carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms and can have other atoms in smaller amounts.
There need to be enough of these carbon-hydrogen molecules to "allow" the fire to jump from molecule to molecule. This is called the Lower Explosive Limit and is typically around 5-6%. To keep a fire burning, there also needs to be enough room for oxygen in the area to keep the material burning. . This is called the Upper Explosive Limit and is typically around 80% (If I'm remembering correctly .) So if the concentration is between the Lower Explosive Limit and the Upper Explosive Limit there could be a fire if the water spout is hit by lightening..
But the water would be turned to steam by the heat of the fire. The steam would smother the fire and put it out..
There need to be enough of these carbon-hydrogen molecules to "allow" the fire to jump from molecule to molecule. This is called the Lower Explosive Limit and is typically around 5-6%. To keep a fire burning, there also needs to be enough room for oxygen in the area to keep the material burning. . This is called the Upper Explosive Limit and is typically around 80% (If I'm remembering correctly .) So if the concentration is between the Lower Explosive Limit and the Upper Explosive Limit there could be a fire if the water spout is hit by lightening..
But the water would be turned to steam by the heat of the fire. The steam would smother the fire and put it out..
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
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