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Science 2 August 1985:
Vol. 229. no. 4712, pp. 465 - 469
DOI: 10.1126/science.229.4712.465
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Articles

Smoke Production from Multiple Nuclear Explosions in Nonurban Areas

R. D. SMALL 1 and B. W. BUSH 1

1 Pacific-Sierra Research Corporation, Los Angeles, California 90025

The amount of smoke that may be produced by wildland or rural fires as a consequence of a large-scale nuclear exchange is estimated. The calculation is based on a compilation of rural military facilities, identified from a wide variety of unclassified sources, together with data on their geographic positions, surrounding vegetation (fuel), and weather conditions. The ignition area (corrected for fuel moisture) and the amount of fire spread are used to calculate the smoke production. The results show a substantially lower estimated smoke production (from wildland fires) than in earlier "nuclear winter" studies. The amount varies seasonally and at its peak is less by an order of magnitude than the estimated threshold level necessary for a major attenuation of solar radiation.

Submitted on October 5, 1984
Accepted on March 1, 1985


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Climate and smoke: an appraisal of nuclear winter.
R. Turco, O. Toon, T. Ackerman, J. Pollack, and C Sagan (1990)
Science 247, 166-176
   Abstract »    PDF »
Applied climatology.
L. F. Musk (1986)
Progress in Physical Geography 10, 563-575
   PDF »
Nuclear war : the effects of smoke and dust on weather and climate.
W. Bach (1986)
Progress in Physical Geography 10, 315-363
   PDF »


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