Most Damaging Effect Of A Nuclear Explosion example essay topic

The threat of war has always been a very real one. Since the beginning of time, people have gone to war against one another for revenge, territory, and power. During World War II, the newly developed nuclear bomb was used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to cripple Japan and make them surrender. Since then, many other countries have gained the ability to manufacture these nuclear weapons and the weapons have only become more powerful. Even in the news today, North Korea is claiming that it has the ability to build these weapons of mass destruction. Group them with all of the other countries that already have nuclear capabilities and a seeming dislike of others, and it just adds on to the possibility of nuclear war.

What would happen if many of these countries were to initiate a large-scale nuclear war? The catastrophic effects, both immediate and long-term, are what will be examined herein. Could these effects be severe enough to cause what scientists refer to as nuclear winter? Based upon research done in the area, I believe that nuclear winter is possible.

The immediate effects of a nuclear explosion are always the most dangerous and intense of the effects. The first effects of a nuclear explosion are the fireball and the flash. The fireball forms right after detonation and causes the flash, which is a large amount of thermal radiation. The fireball is what will eventually form the mushroom cloud commonly associated with a nuclear weapon.

The mushroom cloud throws large quantities of smoke and dust into to the atmosphere. Both of these, when large enough amounts are present, are key components that cause nuclear winter. The flash is hot enough to ignite combustibles and cause severe burns to people and animals. It can also cause large fires in cities or forests, which will pour even more smoke into the atmosphere. As the size of the weapon used increases, the flash lasts a longer period of time and causes more damage.

The second effect is the blast. The force of detonation and the formation of the fireball cause the blast. It is a shockwave that, when near ground zero, is capable of destroying structures. It is also possible for the blast to hurl objects long distances. Initially, the blast will move faster than the speed of sound, but it will slow down after a brief period of time. The blast is capable of causing high winds that will move away from the blast's origin.

These winds will eventually move back towards the site of detonation and then stop completely. The winds caused by the blast help to spread debris and smoke from fires. Next to potential fires caused by the flash, the blast is the most damaging effect of a nuclear explosion. The next immediate effect to occur is prompt radiation. It is given off in the first few seconds following detonation. Since the atmosphere neutralizes it, the radiation is most damaging to organic matter close to ground zero.

When absorbed, it causes cellular damage and can be fatal. If not fatal, the radiation can cause cancer, radiation sickness, and genetic defects in those who are exposed to it and their offspring. This is the most biologically harmful effect. The final immediate effect is also the most strategic.

When a nuclear weapon is detonated, it produces an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP. An EMP will only occur in a high altitude detonation. It can cause severe damage or disruption of electronic equipment. The EMP covers a large frequency range and can disrupt communications of all kinds including power, radio, radar, and satellite transmissions. If detonation occurs at a high enough altitude, it is possible for the EMP to affect very large areas. The main long-term effect of a nuclear explosion is the radioactive fallout associated with some detonations.

Radiation is mixed with debris that has been thrown into the air. Fallout may possibly take days to settle to the ground. It can be dangerous for months after detonation depending upon the intensity of the initial fallout. Its location depends on the wind and weather at the time of detonation.

Biological effects similar to those caused by prompt radiation are possible if radioactive particles from the fallout are breathed in or contaminated food is eaten. If detonation occurs at a high altitude, the radioactive material may spread far enough for the effects of fallout to be negligible. Scientists have also theorized the long-term effects of the large-scale use of nuclear weapons. Most of these effects are generally grouped into what is called nuclear winter. Nuclear winter would occur from large amounts of smoke and dust settling into the atmosphere. This blanket of debris could possibly take years to disperse from the atmosphere.

Possible effects of a nuclear winter would include a reduction in light and temperatures around the globe. The reduced light and temperatures might affect crop production but the effects would not be extreme. Effects on other life forms would not be significant except for those caused by food shortage. Nuclear weapons are the most destructive force known to man.

No other event, whether natural or artificial, can compare to the damage caused by these weapons of mass destruction. Based upon the effects of just one nuclear explosion, nuclear winter is a very conceivable result of large-scale nuclear war. If enough bombs were detonated over a large area, the resulting smoke and debris could easily be scattered by winds and cover the entire atmosphere. It would be an event that our world would possibly not recover from for a generation or more. Hopefully, we will never have to find out whether or not nuclear winter is actually something that can happen.