Could hurricanes swirl on cold, dry alien planets?

Here on Earth, hurricanes are often associated with warm, wet climates. But according to simulations in a new study, these swirling storms can also form on cold, dry exoplanets.

Because they are linked with tropical climates, hurricanes on Earth are often referred to as tropical cyclones. These storms usually form above tropical oceans and move toward nearby shores.

However, the new simulations show that, theoretically, those tropical conditions aren't necessary for hurricanes to form.

"Our existing physical understanding for how hurricanes work has never explicitly depended on water (and clouds and rainfall), yet that has long been the prevailing view, given that this is how hurricanes work on the real Earth," study co-author Dan Chavas, an assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, told Space.com in an email.

"And this new study shows that this is true: Hurricanes don't explicitly depend on water and warm temperatures; cool and dry climates are also capable of housing these storms."

Scientists search for and study exoplanets using their understanding of life and environments that support life on Earth. On our planet, hurricanes evaporate water, which gives them "energy" to move. So, once a hurricane hits dry land, it will start running out of water to evaporate, and the storm will begin to peter out. But the new study shows, in a drier environment, it is possible for frequent, weak hurricanes to form.

An improved understanding of climate systems on Earth could help scientists study planets far from home. However, Chavas, who noted that he is not an exoplanet expert, said that, so far, scientists haven't observed any exoplanets, regardless of their climates, that experience hurricanes.

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