Hiroshima was an atomic blast, right? But now we have nuclear bombs. If Hiroshima is inhabitable now, how long after a nuclear blast can people return? If we nuke north korea, what would be the long term effects on the surrounding areas?
2006-10-06 19:00:44 · 13 answers · asked by Kelly A 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Actually, the problem is not so much with the type of nuclear weapon used, but how the bomb was used.
When a nuclear weapon, either fission (A-bomb) or fusion (H-bomb) goes off, it generates a huge fireball. If that fireball does not come into contact with the ground (an airburst), there may be a large area of neutron-induced radioactivity in a circular pattern around ground zero, but there will be no fallout. Neutron-induced radioactivity is generally short-lived -- half-lives are typically measured in hours or days. So after a few weeks, neutron-induced radioactivity is gone. Then the problem is clearing the rubble and rebuilding.
If the fireball from the blast makes contact with the ground, then the blast will generate a great deal of fallout -- which is natural materials sucked up into the fireball and contaminated with long-lived radionuclides that were not consumed in the explosion. Fallout can be a real problem, because the half-lives of elements like uranium and plutonium (yes, they're in both types of bombs -- a thermonuclear weapon (H-bomb) uses a fission device (A-bomb) to get started) have half-lives measured in the billions of years.
2006-10-07 02:15:11 · answer #1 · answered by Dave_Stark 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The island of bikini was used for nuke tests including the biggest H-bomb we ever detonated. The island can be visited now but you can't live there cesium and strontium-90 very radioactive elements still show up in dangerous levels in any food grown there. The testing stopped in 1961. the reef where the super nuke was detonated was obliterated but the bottom of the crater is still very radio active and dangerous to divers. In short if we nuke korea we will make it unhabitable for centuries and we will poision south korea,japan and china . I doubt that china a nuke power will let us get away with that do you?
2006-10-07 11:05:03 · answer #2 · answered by brian L 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That would depend on the kiloton yield of the nuke (tactical or strategic), method of delivery (airburst or ground detonation), pervailing winds, and number of devices detonated. The Hiroshima detonation was in the 15-20k range while the current strategic nukes are in the 500 kiloton range.
2006-10-07 18:08:09 · answer #3 · answered by Its not me Its u 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hiroshima was a nuclear bomb but it was a hydrogen bombknown as (fatman) as well was Nagasaki (littleboy). and just so you know they were not detonated by slamming into the ground they were above ground midair busrts. thats why there was so much devistaion with the bombs. the inital shockwave destroyed everything. neither of these cities were desolate after the bombs, people were living there after wards. one of the stupidest things i seen was a program about the detonations. Within the first hour after the blasts there was radiation fallout where the clouds around the cities started to rain down black water. the people all admited that they drank the water cause the blasts destroyed the water supplys.
2006-10-07 02:50:17 · answer #4 · answered by aka_guardian 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Atomic and nuclear are same, most bombs are significantly more powerful today. It is going to be unfortunate because once the first bomb is detonate there will no stopping. The fallout will be worldwide. Will you be lucky and be killed quickly in the initial blast or suffer a lingering death from radiation poisoning.
Sorry, try this http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/nuke/radiation.htm
2006-10-07 02:13:49 · answer #5 · answered by lobo 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It depends on the size and type of nuke. The US won't start a nuke war. We have plenty of big conventional bombs that will do the job without the radiation.
Worry about an Islamic in a big city near you!
2006-10-07 02:06:20 · answer #6 · answered by rjf 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Im no nuclear scientist but Im bored, cant sleep and after reading your question found myself curious. I found this (link) and found it interesting. Maybe this helps?
2006-10-07 02:17:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
4470 million years for it to actually decay, but more like 5-10 years to dissipate. All depends on how many are detonated.
2006-10-07 02:16:13 · answer #8 · answered by Black Sabbath 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
An atomic bomb is a nuclear bomb.
2006-10-07 02:59:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know the answer to your question but I think it's real bad to blow people up with nuclear bombs.
2006-10-07 02:04:00 · answer #10 · answered by imnogeniusbutt 4 · 2⤊ 3⤋