Table of Contents
Does wind affect nuclear fallout?
Atmospheric winds are able to bring fallout over large areas. The two alternative versions both ascribe the high radiation levels at north Rongelap to a downwind hot spot caused by the large amount of radioactivity carried on fallout particles of about 50–100 micrometres size.
What are the effects of nuclear fallout?
EFFECTS ON HUMANS Nuclear explosions produce air-blast effects similar to those produced by conventional explosives. The shock wave can directly injure humans by rupturing eardrums or lungs or by hurling people at high speed, but most casualties occur because of collapsing structures and flying debris.
What happens to the air after a nuclear bomb?
Radioactive fallout The radioactive material left behind by the nuclear weapon eventually falls to the ground as particles. The particles destined to become regional fallout go directly into the troposphere (the layer of air closest to the earth) after the explosion and then fall down during the span of some weeks.
What caused the nuclear fallout?
Fallout is the radioactive particles that fall to earth as a result of a nuclear explosion. This radiation hazard comes from radioactive fission fragments with half-lives of seconds to a few months, and from soil and other materials in the vicinity of the burst made radioactive by the intense neutron flux.
What were the effects on the ground because of the atomic bomb?
The uranium bomb detonated over Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 had an explosive yield equal to 15,000 tonnes of TNT. It razed and burnt around 70 per cent of all buildings and caused an estimated 140,000 deaths by the end of 1945, along with increased rates of cancer and chronic disease among the survivors.
How far do the effects of a nuclear bomb reach?
In a typical air burst, where the blast range is maximized to produce the greatest range of severe damage, i.e. the greatest range that ~10 psi (69 kPa) of pressure is extended over, is a GR/ground range of 0.4 km for 1 kiloton (kt) of TNT yield; 1.9 km for 100 kt; and 8.6 km for 10 megatons (Mt) of TNT.
What would a nuclear winter be like?
The nuclear winter scenario assumes that 100 or more city firestorms are ignited by nuclear explosions, and that the firestorms lift large amounts of sooty smoke into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere by the movement offered by the pyrocumulonimbus clouds that form during a firestorm.
How much damage would an atomic bomb do?
Summary of the effects
| Effects | Explosive yield / height of burst | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kt / 200 m | 20 Mt / 5.4 km | |
| Urban areas completely levelled (20 psi or 140 kPa) | 0.2 | 6.4 |
| Destruction of most civilian buildings (5 psi or 34 kPa) | 0.6 | 17 |
| Moderate damage to civilian buildings (1 psi or 6.9 kPa) | 1.7 | 47 |
What happens to the fallout from a nuclear bomb?
When a nuclear bomb is detonated close or on the ground, it produces radioactive fallout. Upon explosion radioactive particles such as fission products, radiated soil and weapon waste are sent into varying levels of the atmosphere. Depending on the direction and power of the wind, radioactive fallout can travel extremely long distances. [1]
How does detonation of a nuclear bomb affect the environment?
Detonation of nuclear bombs above ground can inject radioactive particles into the stratosphere causing global fallout. Nuclear bombs produce even higher levels of fallout than nuclear plant accidents, which are considerable.
What happens to fallout in NUKEMAP 2.5?
Nukemap 2.5’s new features let you see where a cloud of radioactive fallout might drift based on local weather conditions. Fallout refers to the dirt and debris that get sucked up by a nuclear blast, irradiated to dangerous levels, pushed into the atmosphere, and sprinkled over great distances.
When is a nuclear bomb an air blast or a surface blast?
When a bomb is detonated below 100,000 feet but high enough that the fireball of the detonation does not actually touch the Earth’s surface, it is considered an air blast. [1] Conversely, when a nuclear bomb is detonated at or slightly above the surface of land or water, it is deemed a surface blast.