> > > If the whole of the middle east, including Israel, suddenly
disappeared
> > > under a beastly large H-Bomb mushroom cloud, I'd sleep like a baby
that
> > > night, thankful for a more peaceful world.
One of the basic laws of physics states that every action has an equal and
opposite reaction.
So what of an action based on stupidity, arrogance and selfishness?
Perpetuate Hate
Archibald
25 Megaton Air Blast: Pressure Damage Map
This is a big bomb. At 25 megatons, it has about 2,000 times the explosive
power of the fission bomb used on Hiroshima. Exploding it high in the
atmosphere, at 17,500 feet, will maximize its destructive range.
Key:
12 psi Radius: 1.7 miles
[Note: The outside edge of this shaded area represents the 12 psi
(pound per square inch) ring. Blast pressure within the ring is greater than
12 psi; blast pressure outside the ring is less than 12 psi.]
At the center of the ring lies a crater 200 feet deep and 1000 feet in
diameter. The rim of this crater is 1,000 feet wide and is composed of
highly radioactive soil and debris. Nothing recognizable remains within
about 3,200 feet (0.6 miles) from the center, except, perhaps, the remains
of some buildings' foundations. At 1.7 miles, only some of the strongest
buildings -- those made of reinforced, poured concrete -- are still
standing. Ninety-eight percent of the population in this area are dead.
5 psi Radius: 2.7 miles
Virtually everything is destroyed between the 12 and 5 psi rings. The
walls of typical multi-story buildings, including apartment buildings, have
been completely blown out. The bare, structural skeletons of more and more
buildings rise above the debris as you approach the 5 psi ring.
Single-family residences within this this area have been completely blown
away -- only their foundations remain. Fifty percent of the population
between the 12 and 5 psi rings are dead. Forty percent are injured.
2 psi Radius: 4.7 miles
Any single-family residences that have not been completely destroyed
are heavily damaged. The windows of office buildings have been blown away,
as have some of their walls. The contents of these buildings' upper floors,
including the people who were working there, are scattered on the street. A
substantial amount of debris clutters the entire area. Five percent of the
population between the 5 and 2 psi rings are dead. Forty-five percent are
injured.
1 psi Radius: 7.4 miles
Residences are moderately damaged. Commercial buildings have sustained
minimal damage. Twenty-five percent of the population between the 2 and 1
psi rings have been injured, mainly by flying glass and debris. Many others
have been injured from thermal radiation -- the heat generated by the blast.
The remaining seventy-five percent are unhurt.
NOTE: This information has been drawn mainly from "The Effects of Nuclear
War" (Washington: Office of Technology Assessment, Congress of the United
States, 1979). The zones of destruction mapped out on this page are broad
generalizations and do not take into account factors such as weather and
geography of the target.
Effects of a Nuclear Explosion
Damage caused by nuclear explosions can vary greatly, depending on the
weapon's yield (measured in kilotons or megatons), the type of nuclear fuel
used, the design of the device, whether it's exploded in the air or at
earth's surface, the geography surrounding the target, whether it's winter
or summer, hazy or clear, night or day, windy or calm. Whatever the factors,
though, the explosion will release several distinct forms of energy. One
form is the explosive blast. Other forms are direct nuclear radiation and
thermal radiation. And then there's radioactive fallout -- not exactly
energy released by the explosion, but still a destructive result.
Explosive Blast
Much of the damage inflicted by a nuclear explosion is the result of its
shock wave. There are two components to a blast's shock wave. First, there's
the wall of pressure that expands outward from the explosion. It is this
pressure, measured in psi (pounds per square inch), that blows away the
walls from buildings. A typical two-story house subjected to 5 psi would
feel the force of 180 tons on the side facing the blast. (Download the
Quicktime movie entitled house to see an example of a building subjected to
this type of pressure.) Additionally, the blast creates a 160 mile-an-hour
wind. And that's only at 5 psi. The wind speed following a 20 psi blast
would be 500 mph!
Direct Nuclear Radiation
A nuclear detonation creates several forms of nuclear, or ionizing,
radiation. The nuclear fission (atom splitting) and nuclear fusion (atom
combining) that occur to produce the explosion release, either directly or
indirectly, neutrons, gamma rays, beta particles, and alpha particles.
Neutrons are heavy particles that are released from atoms' nuclei. These
tiny "missiles" can easily penetrate solid objects. Another penetrating form
of radiation is gamma rays, which are energetic photons. Both of these types
of radiation can be deadly. Beta and alpha particles are less dangerous,
having ranges of several meters and several centimeters, respectively. Alpha
particles can cause harm only if they are ingested.
Thermal Radiation
You don't have to be close to ground zero to view the bright flash created
by the exploding bomb. The flash from a bomb has been viewed from hundreds
of miles away. In addition to being intensely bright, this radiation is
intensely hot (hence the name "thermal"). If you're seven miles away from a
one megaton explosion, the heat emanating from the fireball will cause a
first-degree burn (equivalent to a bad sunburn ) to any exposed skin facing
the light. If you're six miles away, it will cause second-degree burns. And
if you're five miles away, the thermal radiation will cause third-degree
burns -- a much more serious injury that would require prompt medical
attention.
The intense heat would also ignite a "mass fire" -- i.e., a fire that could
cause large areas to simultaneously burst into flames.
Fallout
You've seen the image: a mushroom cloud created by a nuclear explosion.
Produced with a detonation at or near the earth's surface, this type of
explosion results in far-ranging radioactive fallout. Earth and debris --
made radioactive by the nuclear explosion -- rises up, forming the mushroom
cloud's stem. Much of this material falls directly back down close to ground
zero within several minutes after the explosion, but some travels high into
the atmosphere. This material will be dispersed over the earth during the
following hours, days, months. In fact, some of the particles rising up
through the mushroom will enter the stratosphere, where they could remain
for tens of years.
Wind direction, naturally, plays a significant role in how the radioactive
fallout will be distributed. But so does wind speed. The Blast Mapper's
fallout maps show the area where fallout would land if the wind were blowing
at a steady 15 mph. Lighter winds would cause this area to be broader but
not so deep. A stronger breeze would cause the fallout "plume" to be
narrower and longer.
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