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#276446 - 08/31/15 04:08 AM Re: Sheltering from a low-yield nuclear explosion [Re: Brangdon]
Pete Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/20/09
Posts: 1372
Some good comments above.
But a couple of misconceptions need to be cleared up.

The explosion of a nuclear bomb happens SO FAST - there is no reaction time. You cannot duck. You cannot say "What's that?". It is game over. If you are unlucky enough to be near the site of the blast, you will get the effects.

The principal effect is HEAT - terrible heat. If you look at the accounts of the scientists who witnessed the Trinity Test - first A-bomb test. They were about 10-miles from the test, and wearing protective glasses. They remarked that the heat, from that distance, was so intense that it felt like someone had opened the door to a very hot furnace. It was so strong, you almost couldn't handle it. That was from a distance of 10-miles.

There is an ONLINE site somewhere that shows eyewitness accounts from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, immediately after those weapons were dropped. You see images (sketches) with many people with terrible burns. Whatever part of your body is exposed, severe burns. The rivers were full of bodies from people who ran to the water because "their bodies were on fire" ... and they died floating in the water.

I wish I could find the ONLINE Web site. Maybe somewhere here can post it.

You can't "shelter" from the nuke. You just pray that you are lucky enough to be far away from it.

Pete

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#276450 - 08/31/15 03:07 PM Re: Sheltering from a low-yield nuclear explosion [Re: Brangdon]
Ian Offline
Member

Registered: 05/15/07
Posts: 198
Loc: Scotland
If you have a look around you at the moment you probably won't be able to see much of the sky so a surprise detonation probably won't affect you, also cloudy/hazy skies attenuate the propagated flash energy considerably.

The blast wave moves at the speed of soundish so a blast 10 miles away would take some 45 seconds to arrive, quite a lot of time from seeing the flash to take some shelter from the ground wave or get out a vehicle and get into the curb to avoid translation.

It is not all doom and destruction.

During transition to war we used to wear one eyepatch so if we did get caught by the flash only one eye would be damaged.

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#276474 - 09/01/15 03:29 AM Re: Sheltering from a low-yield nuclear explosion [Re: Ian]
JeffMc Offline
Member

Registered: 05/10/15
Posts: 129
Loc: Northwest Florida
Originally Posted By: Ian
... It is not all doom and destruction. ...


I agree. I also think that a lot will depend on multiple unknowable factors such as weapon design, yield and delivery method. Much of what's been learned and disseminated about nuclear weapons effects on civilian populations was predicated on Cold War hypothesizing involving high yield weapons, air bursts, etc.

But in the meantime, increasing accuracy in delivery systems has led to the development of lower yield nukes than were deemed necessary in the past. The newer members of the Nuke Club like India, Pakistan and Israel, as far as public estimates go, also don't appear to have built very high-yield weapons either, in part because their likeliest targets are rather close by, not on the other side of the planet.

Thankfully, international arms control and accountability programs, etc., seem to have reduced the risk of a state-built nuke, or materials and experts, getting into the wrong hands, although Pakistan's stability and internal security is worrisome. Still, the risk that a non-state terrorist group might acquire or even build one remains, and from their POV there's no better place to use a nuke than against the Great Satan.

But if that happens, I think it's reasonable to expect it to be a rather low yield, ground or low-altitude detonation, which would be a catastrophe to be sure, but not a city-killer inflicting many tens or hundreds of thousands of deaths. It's even more likely, I think, to be a simple dirty bomb or an at least partially failed detonation. So most people, including many of those rather close to the detonation, can or will survive, although the result may be almost as effective for the bad guys, since it would still be "nuclear" and thus carry much the same psychological impact and likely cause similar political and economic disruptions.

The other remaining risk is an accidental nuclear attack. There have been several very close calls that we know about between us and the Russians/Soviets where somebody almost got nuked. Many experts seem to think such an accident is far more likely than an intentional use. We were only saved before because cooler heads prevailed, and, hopefully, any such future accident will not result in major nuclear exchanges.

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#276481 - 09/01/15 05:42 AM Re: Sheltering from a low-yield nuclear explosion [Re: Ian]
Am_Fear_Liath_Mor Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 08/03/07
Posts: 3078
Quote:

During transition to war we used to wear one eyepatch so if we did get caught by the flash only one eye would be damaged.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZAHpuY_sCo

No one wears eye patches nowadays. The computer guidance systems don't need em!

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#276483 - 09/01/15 02:46 PM Re: Sheltering from a low-yield nuclear explosion [Re: Am_Fear_Liath_Mor]
Ian Offline
Member

Registered: 05/15/07
Posts: 198
Loc: Scotland
This was the Royal Observer Corps. We had to go out of shelter during TTW and after Attack Warning Red to get data for weather forecasts and after a nuclear attack to retrieve instruments and have a good look around. The problem was a second explosion whilst this was going on. Still got the patch.

The last flying Vulcan's last flight is soon, 26th September. The end of an era.

Vulcan appearances



Edited by Ian (09/01/15 02:47 PM)

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#276500 - 09/02/15 12:54 AM Re: Sheltering from a low-yield nuclear explosion [Re: Ian]
Am_Fear_Liath_Mor Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 08/03/07
Posts: 3078

Quote:
The last flying Vulcan's last flight is soon, 26th September. The end of an era.


I once spoke to a retired USAF officer a few years ago and showed him a recent Vulcan display video. He didn't recognize the airplane, he thought it was a new prototype... laugh

To think my Aunt in the RAF used to directly work for MacMillan. He was absolutely terrified during the Cuban Missile crisis and he did suffer the Nightmares all those years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QP02Jf1Vl8

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#276544 - 09/04/15 03:30 AM Re: Sheltering from a low-yield nuclear explosion [Re: Brangdon]
Pete Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/20/09
Posts: 1372
"The problem was a second explosion whilst this was going on. "

THAT would be the "understatement of the day" on this thread!!
Hahahahaha! Glad that you are still with us.

The Vulcan was a DARN cool looking piece of machinery!!
Great choice for James Bond on Thunderball :-)

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#276557 - 09/04/15 10:45 PM Re: Sheltering from a low-yield nuclear explosion [Re: Pete]
Am_Fear_Liath_Mor Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 08/03/07
Posts: 3078

A Vulcan performing a half Cuban 8...Don't try this with a B52, B1b or B2..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG_wAdMBMB4

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