St. Joseph Church
Bristol, Connecticut

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti
Pastoral Minister

The Effects of Nuclear Explosions

Nuclear weapons and explosions have effects that no other weapons systems have, including biological and chemical weapons. Nuclear weapons are classified with biological and chemical weapons as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). However, nuclear weapons are more powerful in a political sense, and their destructive capacity and effects place them as the weapons of choice for nations that wish to maintain or aspire to world power status.

Nuclear weapons have four immediate effects which are: thermal, blast, radioactivity and electromagnetic pulse (EMP). These four effects place nuclear weapons in a category all their own.

Basic Information on Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons consist of two basic designs; fission and thermonuclear weapons. The fission weapons (atomic bomb) is the basic design of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. These weapons measure in the small kiloton (thousand tons of TNT) range of explosive force. Thermonuclear weapons (hydrogen bomb) are fission-fusion-fission weapons that can be created to be one thousand times the explosive force of fission weapons. Thermonuclear weapons use tritium and deuterium to boost their explosive force. Thermonuclear weapons have measured in the megaton (million tons of TNT) range of explosive force. Three one megaton weapons are the equivalent of all the bombs used by all the powers in World War II. (1)

Throughout the 1970's, up to the present, the United States and the Soviet Union (Russia) have reduced their megatonnage as weapons became more efficient in their use of energy. So, even though the overall megatonnage of both arsenals has been reduced, both nations arsenals are far more lethal. That is, both nations have greatly improved their accuracy and hard-target-kill capability. Even with reductions under the START I, and possibly START II, both nations will maintain at least 3,500 long range or strategic weapons on alert, with at least 3,000 reserve warheads apiece. (2)

Immediate Effects of Nuclear Weapons Detonations

Thermal Effect

The thermal or heat effect of a nuclear explosion is the result of mass converting into energy. This conversion creates an explosion whose core measures from 10,000,000 to 100,000,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This thermal effect is hotter than the surface of the sun.

A 550 kiloton weapon can carbonize exposed skin and cause clothing to ignite. At a range of three miles surfaces would fulminate and recoil as they emanate flames, and even particles of sand would explode from the rapid heating of the fireball. At three and half miles, where the blast pressure would be about 5 psi, the fireball could ignite clothing on people, curtains and upholstery in homes and offices, and rubber tires on cars.

Another serious effect in urban areas is the firestorm that will follow. Super heated winds from massive fires will generate a massive spreading of fires in hurricane-like conditions for several square miles.

... Due to the large area of fire, the fire zone would act as a gigantic air pump, driving enormous volumes of air skyward. As cooler air is drawn in to replace the air pumped away, the pumping action would create very high ground winds. Large amounts of poisonous smoke and gases would be generated and could therefore kill many more people than blast effects alone. (3)

Blast Effect

The shock wave comes soon after the fireball and flash following detonation. The shock wave moves at about 750 m.p.h. from ground zero. As a shockwave passes over a target area it carries heavy objects lifted by the accompanying winds, and it will cause the damage or collapse of structures from the combined effects of high winds, the smashing effects of objects being carried by winds, and the hammering and crushing effects of the overpressure.

A modern 550 kiloton weapon that was detonated on the ground (ground burst) would generate 5 psi out to 2.3 miles. A ground burst weapon would maximize destruction at ground level and create extensive radioactive effects by virtue of pulling up into its cloud debris that would now be radioactive.

Radioactivity Effect

Each nuclear weapon contain a Uranium 235 or Plutonium 239 core. Both yield radioactivity. When matter is converted into energy, by either fission or fusion, it results in gamma radiation that has a great capacity to penetrate materials. Another radioactive effect is the emission of neutron radiation. Both of these forms of radiation have prompt and long term effects on people and the environment.(4)

Upon detonation of a ground burst weapon tons of radioactive debris are sucked up into the mushroom cloud which will later fall back to earth several miles from ground zero. This radioactive debris is called fallout. The lethality of the fallout depends upon the wind patterns and other weather conditions. This fallout would contaminate food and water supplies and the land in which it fell and result in radioactive sickness for those who are in the area of spreading fallout.

EMP Effect

EMP or Electromagnetic pulse is an intense electric and magnetic pulse that is created by the gamma radiation that emanates from a nuclear detonation. This would have the effect of shorting out electrical systems and more importantly could blackout command, control and communications of a nation's war-fighting potential. This effect calls into question the notion that nuclear wars could be limited and controlled. Each nation would know that such an effect places a premium in a massive pre-emptive strike to avoid the retaliatory effects of EMP on control, command and communications. Such a situation creates tremendous pressures for Launch on Warning "use 'em or lose 'em."

The long term effects would result in crippling a nations capacity to rebuild if that were possible after even a limited nuclear attack of a few tens or hundreds of weapons.

Environmental Effect

Multiple nuclear explosion could call into question the very survival of the planet in what is termed, nuclear winter. The sudden killing of trees and plant life, the massive clouds caused by tons of debris sucked up into atmosphere could block out the sun dropping the temperature several degrees. Also, many nuclear explosion would throw up nitric oxides to deplete the ozone layer. This would expose humans and animals to much higher ultraviolet rays. (5)

All of these effects call into question the survival of life as we know it and perhaps our world. The social and economic effects are hard to measure but would be catastrophic in nature. The long term effects of radiation could result in death, genetic mutations and poisoning of the environment. What is the present situation ? What can we do ?

Stay tuned !!!

Footnotes

Compiled by Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Created 8/14/1998