4 ms·
> Airburst nuclear weapons produce basically 0 fallout. The bomb has to burst on the surface to pick up particles of earth and debris to create fallout. Air bu
by jly 9y ago
> Airburst nuclear weapons produce basically 0 fallout. The bomb has to burst on the surface to pick up particles of earth and debris to create fallout.
Air bursts produce minimal localized fallout, but they have long-term global consequences, especially detonating many powerful fusion bombs. The fallout produces atmospheric carbon-14 and strontium-90, among other dangerous isotopes, that can have consequences for many future generations. This is part of the reason why the nuclear test ban treaty was created.
- cocoablazing 9y agoThis fallout remained in the atmosphere at such significant concentrations that it intermittently interfered with terrestrial radiological contamination measurement for decades after above-ground testing was banned.
- kobeya 9y agoNitpick, but those are the result of fission not fusion.
- mikeash 9y agoStrontium-90 is, but carbon-14 is formed when nitrogen in the air absorbs a neutron, which could be from either fission or fusion.
- sgt101 9y ago"fusion" bombs require a fission trigger.
- arethuza 9y agoCalling H-bombs "fusion" bombs is perhaps a bit of a misnomer in that while fusion is they key component of H-bomb designs most of the energy of these weapons actually comes from fission - the fusion in the secondary produces a large amount of neutrons and these then cause the fission of a uranium tamper around the secondary which is the main energy source.
- mirimir 9y agoOK, but if you go high enough, you just get effects from radiation and EMP. With large enough devices, you can destroy electronics and kill animals.
- mosheroperandi 9y agoOne interesting thing I learned recently is that pre-1945 steel[1] sells at a high premium because all modern steel has been noticeably contaminated by atomic testing. This has lead to large-scale illegal salvaging of old warship wrecks[2]. 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-background_steel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-background_steel 2: https://www.outsideonline.com/2168646/how-does-entire-shipwreck-disappear-bolts-and-all https://www.outsideonline.com/2168646/how-does-entire-shipwr...
- trapperkeeper74 9y agoYup. LBS is useful in detectors and such.