Implications of atmospheric test fallout data for nuclear winter. Doctoral thesis

Technical Report · Sun Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6091856

Baker, G H

Atmospheric-test fallout data were used to determine admissible dust-particle size distributions for nuclear winter studies. The research was originally motivated by extreme differences noted in the magnitude and longevity of dust effects predicted by particle-size distributions routinely used in fallout predictions versus those used for nuclear-winter studies. Three different sets of historical data were analyzed: 1) Stratospheric burden of strontium-90 and tungsten-185, 1954-1967 (97 contributing events); 2) Continental U.S strontium-90 fallout through 1958 (75 contributing events); and 3) Local Fallout from selected Nevada tests (16 events). The contribution of dust to possible long-term climate effects following a nuclear exchange depends strongly on the particle-size distribution. The distribution affects both the atmospheric residence time and optical depth. One-dimensional models of stratospheric/tropospheric fallout removal were developed and used to identify optimum particle distributions. Results indicate that particle distributions which properly predict bulk stratospheric activity transfer tend to be somewhat smaller than number size distributions used in initial nuclear winter studies.

• Research Organization: Air Force Inst. of Tech., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (USA). School of Engineering
• OSTI ID: 6091856
• Report Number(s): AD-A-182607/2/XAB; AFIT/DS/ENP-87-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450202* -- Explosions & Explosives-- Nuclear-- Weaponry-- (-1989)
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
DISTRIBUTION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELEMENTS
EXPLOSIONS
FALLOUT
METALS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEAR WINTER
PARTICLE SIZE
SIZE
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
STRATOSPHERE
STRONTIUM
TROPOSPHERE