The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1, and forecasts suggest an above average year. And as we all know, Atlantic hurricanes are deadliest when they get into the warm Gulf of Mexico. It is almost like a hurricane jumping on a trampoline. They can go from Category 1 to Category 5 in 24 hours in such a favorable environment. But this year, as we also know, there is something different about the Gulf. It is full of oil. What are the implications of this fact for hurricanes? And conversely, what might a powerful hurricane do to the oil spill if it were to run across it? This is a topic I've been thinking about, and I don't have definitive answers yet. I'd like to do more research and interview some experts--but for now, let's take a rough and dirty approach to the issue, based on what is already out there. And let's tackle the first question first: What would an oil slick do to a hurricane? According to storm ace Jeff Masters, the answer is not very much. Here's what Masters is thinking. It's certainly true that oil on the surface of the ocean could inhibit a hurricane's access to its fuel source--the warm seawater ...