I think the timeframe is a factor too. If you explode 10k nukes within 10min, that’s a lot more dust all at once than 100 nukes over a period of multiple years.

I think the timeframe is a factor too. If you explode 10k nukes within 10min, that’s a lot more dust all at once than 100 nukes over a period of multiple years. I’d imagine it’s like filling a sink with water (and the drain slightly open) and use dye to simulate nuke debris. Try one or two drops every minute for ten minutes, vs. an entire cup of dye all at once. Obviously the actual climate models are far more complex but for ELI5, I think this is the general idea.