The Effects of Nuclear Weapons

A nuclear bomb has certain special characteristics that distinguish it from a conventional weapon and make the effects of this weapon particularly devastating in terms of immediate casualties and longer-term health and environmental impact.

These unique characteristics are:

• An intense burst of high-energy radiation (the amount of energy that is released by an atomic bomb exceeds any other kind of weapon – e.g. biochemical weapons, conventional bombs…)
• An exploding fireball instantly inflicting burns and starting fires
• An enormously powerful shockwave
• A mushroom cloud propelling radioactive fission products into the upper atmosphere, from where they return as ‘radioactive fallout’
• Radioactive substances which remain millions of years after the explosion and emit harmful radiation that can damage living organisms

The explosion of a nuclear bomb over a target such as a populated city would lead to immense and severe damage. The degree of damage would depend upon the distance from the centre of the bomb blast, which is called the hypocentre or ground zero. The closer one is to the hypocentre, the more severe the damage.

The following diagram shows the destruction suffered by Hiroshima – it gives you an idea of the kind of damage caused by a nuclear bomb.

Source:http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/peacesite

• At the hypocentre, everything is immediately vaporised by the high temperature (up to 500 million degrees Fahrenheit or 300 million degrees Celsius).
• Outward from the hypocentre, most casualties are caused by burns from the heat, injuries from the flying debris of buildings collapsed by the shock wave, and acute exposure to the high radiation.
• Beyond the immediate blast area, casualties are caused from the heat, radiation, and fires spawned from the heat wave.
• In the long-term, radioactive fallout occurs over a wider area because of prevailing winds. The radioactive fallout particles enter the water supply and are inhaled and ingested by people at a distance from the blast.

Diagram - Damaging effects of nuclear bombs

The damaging effects of nuclear bombs can be seen from the effects of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945: click on the following links to find out.

Immediate casualties >>

Long term health effects >>

Environment >>

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