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For my fictional world I want to conceal a location from a governing body. Would it be plausible to have a machine that generates a severe storm that could get rid of boats and airplanes? Would there be a way for their vehicles to get in and out, but have others crumble apart? Would the machine be able to keep up a sustained storm, or would it have to stop and recharge?

The thing that is being concealed is a 120 mile long 60 mile wide island in the middle of an ocean.

The concealers uses technology much further advanced than our Modern Technology. However, the government has only modern technology.

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  • $\begingroup$ Just fixed that $\endgroup$
    – Synergetic
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 18:00
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    $\begingroup$ Is this modern day? Does the storm need to be permanent or is it good enough to have it spring up whenever anyone approaches? $\endgroup$
    – frodoskywalker
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 18:01
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    $\begingroup$ If their technology is more advanced than ours, surely they have satellites in orbit, so they would spot your island anyway. $\endgroup$
    – b.Lorenz
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 18:16
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    $\begingroup$ The government has modern technology, the people concealing the island have better tech $\endgroup$
    – Synergetic
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 18:18
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    $\begingroup$ I'm hiding from modern technology with advanced technology. $\endgroup$
    – Synergetic
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 18:25

2 Answers 2

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Why not generate a geomagnetic storm? Something that interferes with the magnetosphere of the Earth in a localized fashion around the island, which would disrupt all sorts of instrumentation that relies on the Earth's magnetic field, including navigation and communications equipment. Geomagnetic storms can also cause damage to satellites passing over the area in Low-Earth Orbit.

People would undoubtedly be aware that something was there causing the anomaly, but unreliable comm and nav equipment would occlude the precise location and nature of the island. In addition, exploratory probes would be unable to transmit findings until they exited the zone, giving you plenty of time to find them and disable them. You'll be creating a Bermuda Triangle of sorts.

In terms of defense, the storm wouldn't be capable of retaliatory defense, but it could throw off targeting equipment enough that attacking from a distance would be hard. Coupled with your own advanced technology that doesn't rely on such things, you can actively discourage nosey governments and intrepid souls.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks! This is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks for helping me out! $\endgroup$
    – Synergetic
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 18:53
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Well yes, a machine like this is plausible. Others have stories about machines traveling to other starsystems, so I don't see why a "simple" thing like a storm generating machine would be unbelievable, if it is reasoned by future / further advanced technology than currently available.

But in order to defend the island, I would imagine it to be pretty ineffective.

Firstly, generating a storm needs time. If it just pops up out of nowhere it will be noticed, thus questioned, thus be looked into. As soon as this happens, more and more people will get aware of it and at some point swarm the place, as mankind is fixed on the idea of exploring and explaining everything. As a result you get exactly the opposite of what you've tried to achieve.

Secondly, even if the island owner is okay with the first one, a storm isn't able of defending at all. You would have to make sure, that the storm (or the thunder within) hits absolutely everyone / -thing approaching it. You could say something like shooting small balls of something, which are highly responding the the thunder, thus luring the thunder into following it, at the intruders. But then again, we already have machines hitting a speed of more than 2000 mph according to this wikipedia article. I doubt a thunder storm would reliably hit all of these things, if they'd raid the place. And even if so, they could still go the underwater way, sending submarine to the island... Remember, it IS an island, thus in the middle of massive bodies of water.

And, as already mentioned in the comments of the original post, we already have satellites in the orbit, which should easily be able to spot every open building on the island.

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  • $\begingroup$ Assuming that the island would be able to successfully defend against a raid. Would there be another way to conceal the island that would pair up WITH the Storm Machine? $\endgroup$
    – Synergetic
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 18:39
  • $\begingroup$ The machine could create a constantly heavy rain environment, thus giving an advantage to the island's mostly submarine force against ships. $\endgroup$
    – Edward D'Souza
    Commented May 31, 2017 at 18:41

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