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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Global scale deposition of radioactivity from a large scale exchange

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5653422
The global impact of radioactivity pertains to the continental scale and planetary scale deposition of the radioactivity in a delayed mode; it affects all peoples. Global deposition is distinct and separate from close-in fallout. Close-in fallout is delivered in a matter of a few days or less and is much studied in the literature of civilian defense. But much less studied is the matter of global deposition. The global deposition of radioactivity from the reference strategic exchange (5300 MT) leads to an estimated average whole body, total integrated dose of 20 rem for the latitudes of 30 to 50/sup 0/ in the Northern Hemisphere. Hotspots of deposited radioactivity can occur with doses of about 70 rem (winter) to 40 to 110 rem (summer) in regions like Europe, western Asia, western North Pacific, southeastern US, northeastern US, and Canada. The neighboring countries within a few hundred kilometers of areas under strategic nuclear attack can be impacted by the normal (termal close-in) fallout due to gravitational sedimentation with lethal radiation doses to unsheltered populations. In regard to the strategic scenario about 40% of the megatonage is assumed to be in a surface burst mode and the rest in the free air burst mode.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5653422
Report Number(s):
UCRL-89907; CONF-8308134-1; ON: DE84002007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English