Implications of atmospheric test fallout data for nuclear winter

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6972031

Baker, III, G H

Atmospheric-test fallout data were used to determine admissable-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 (92 contributing events); (2) continental US strontium-90 fallout through 1958 (75 contributing events); (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 that properly predict bulk stratospheric activity transfer tend to be somewhat smaller than number size distributions used in initial nuclear winter studies. In addition, both /sup 90/Sr and /sup 185/W fallout behavior is better predicted by the log normal distribution function than the prevalent power-law hybrid function.

• Research Organization: Air Force Inst. of Tech., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6972031
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450202 -- Explosions & Explosives-- Nuclear-- Weaponry-- (-1989)
500300* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DATA ANALYSIS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISTRIBUTION
DUSTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXPLOSIONS
FALLOUT
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEAR WINTER
NUCLEI
PARTICLE SIZE
RADIOISOTOPES
SIZE
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
TUNGSTEN 185
TUNGSTEN ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES