Consequences of a hydrogen bomb explosion in the Pacific Ocean. What happens if you explode a nuclear or thermonuclear bomb in outer space? What exactly will happen
The latest fiery exchange between the United States and North Korea has created a new threat. Last Tuesday, during a speech at the United Nations, President Trump said his government would "completely destroy North Korea"if necessary for the defense of the United States or its allies. On Friday, Kim Jong Un responded that North Korea would “seriously consider the appropriate level of harsh countermeasures, the highest in history.”
The North Korean leader did not specify the nature of this countermeasure, but his foreign minister hinted that North Korea could test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean.
"This could be the most powerful hydrogen bomb explosion in the Pacific," Foreign Minister Lee Yong-ho told reporters at the UN General Assembly in New York. “We have no idea what actions might be taken as the decision rests with leader Kim Jong Un.”
Until now, North Korea has conducted nuclear tests in underground chambers and ballistic missile tests in the sky. If North Korea follows through on its threat, the test would be the first atmospheric nuclear weapon detonation in nearly 40 years.
Hydrogen bombs are much more powerful than atomic bombs and are capable of generating many times more explosive energy. If a hydrogen bomb were tested in the Pacific Ocean, it would explode with a blinding flash and produce its famous "mushroom" cloud. The immediate consequences will likely depend on the height of detonation above water. The initial explosion can destroy most of the life in the impact zone - many fish and other marine life - instantly. When the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, every living thing within a 1,600-foot radius was killed.
The explosion will send radioactive particles through the air, and the wind will disperse them hundreds of miles. Smoke may obscure sunlight and kill marine fauna that cannot live without the sun. Radiation is known to destroy cells in humans, animals and plants by causing changes in genes. These changes may lead to mutations in future generations. Experts say eggs and larvae of marine organisms are particularly sensitive to radiation. Affected animals can transmit radiation up the food chain.
The explosion could also have devastating and long-lasting effects on people and animals if fallout reaches land. The particles can contaminate the air, soil and water supplies. More than 60 years after the US conducted a series of atomic bomb tests near Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, it remains “uninhabitable,” according to a 2014 report by The Guardian.
Under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which was negotiated with the 1996 nuclear test ban treaty in 1996, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted in underground chambers, above ground and under water, between 1945 and 1996. The last above-ground test by a nuclear power was conducted in China in 1980.
This year alone, North Korea conducted 19 ballistic missile tests and one nuclear test. Earlier this month, North Korea said it had conducted a successful underground hydrogen bomb test, causing an artificial earthquake near the test site that was recorded by seismic stations around the world.
(hydrogen bomb prototype) on Enewetak Atoll (Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean).
The test of a prototype hydrogen bomb, codenamed Ivy Mike, took place on November 1, 1952. Its power was 10.4 megatons of TNT, which was approximately 1000 times greater than the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. After the explosion, one of the islands of the atoll on which the charge was placed was completely destroyed, and the crater from the explosion was more than a mile in diameter.
However, the detonated device was not yet a real hydrogen bomb and was not suitable for transportation: it was a complex permanent installation the size of two-storey house and weighing 82 tons. In addition, its design, based on the use of liquid deuterium, turned out to be unpromising and was not used in the future.
The USSR carried out its first thermonuclear explosion on August 12, 1953. In terms of power (about 0.4 megatons), it was significantly inferior to the American one, but the ammunition was transportable and did not use liquid deuterium.
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
North Korea conducted another nuclear weapons test on September 3. Now, they claim, a hydrogen bomb has been detonated. Recorded in the Far East seismic tremors. Based on them, experts estimated the charge power to be from 50 to 100 kilotons. The power of the bombs detonated by the Americans in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 was about 20 kilotons. Then two explosions killed more than 200 thousand people. The Korean bomb is many times more powerful. A few days earlier, North Korea tested its ballistic missile. This rocket flew 2,700 kilometers and fell in the Pacific Ocean. Flew over the Japanese island of Hokkaido.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that they will now fire missiles towards the American military base on the island of Guam. And this island is a little further from Korea - 3,300 kilometers. Moreover, some experts claim that this rocket can fly twice the distance. According to the map, such a missile could reach the United States. At least Alaska is already in the kill zone.
So, there is a rocket and there is a bomb. This does not mean that the Koreans are ready to launch a nuclear missile strike right now. A nuclear explosive device is not yet a warhead. Experts say that pairing a bomb and a missile requires several years of work. However, it is absolutely clear that for Korean engineers this is a solvable task. The Americans are threatening North Korea with a military strike. Indeed, it seems like a simple solution - destroy by air launchers, factories for the production of missiles and nuclear weapons. And the habits of Americans in this regard are simple. Anything - immediately bomb. Why aren't they bombing now? And they threaten somehow hesitantly. Because from the border separating North and South Korea to the center of Seoul, the capital South Korea, 30-odd kilometers.
Intercontinental ballistic missiles will not be needed here. Here you can shoot howitzers. And Seoul is a city of ten million. By the way, many Americans live there. The US and South Korea have extensive business relations. So in response to an American attack, the North Koreans may attack South Korea, Seoul first. North Korea's army is one million strong. There are another four million in reserve.
Some hotheads say: this is a poor country with a very weak economy. Well, firstly, the economy there is no longer as weak as it was 20 years ago. According to indirect signs, there is economic growth. Well, secondly, they were able to make a rocket. They made an atomic bomb and even a hydrogen one. They should not be underestimated. Therefore there are risks great war on the Korean Peninsula. This topic was discussed on September 3 by the leaders of Russia and China. They met in Chinese city Xiamen on the eve of the BRICS summit.
“There was a discussion of the situation on the Korean Peninsula in light of the DPRK’s hydrogen bomb test. Both Putin and Xi Jinping expressed deep concern about this situation, they noted the importance of preventing chaos on the Korean Peninsula, the importance of all parties showing restraint and focusing on finding a solution only through political and diplomatic means,” said Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov .
No matter what Kim Jong-un is, no matter how he behaves, no matter what we think about him, there are still negotiations, a search for a compromise better than war, especially since interested parties have enough tools to put pressure on North Korea.
“Today, September 3, at 12 o’clock, North Korean scientists successfully tested a hydrogen warhead at the northern test site, designed to equip intercontinental ballistic missiles,” said a North Korean television announcer.
According to South Korean experts, the power of the bomb exploded in North Korea could reach 100 kilotons, which is about six Hiroshimas. The explosion was accompanied by an earthquake 10 times greater stronger than that, which happened last year when Pyongyang conducted its previous nuclear test. The echoes of this earthquake, which is now clearly man-made, were felt far beyond the borders of the DPRK. Even before Pyongyang’s official statement, seismologists in Vladivostok already guessed what had happened. “The coordinates coincide with the nuclear test site,” notes the seismologist.
“In terms of distance, it is approximately 250-300 kilometers from Vladivostok. At the epicenter of the earthquake itself, in all likelihood, the magnitude was about seven. On the border of Primorye it is somewhere around five points. In Vladivostok, no more than two or three points,” said seismologist on duty Amed Saiduloev.
Pyongyang confirmed the test report with a photo report on the development of a compact hydrogen warhead. It is alleged that the DPRK has enough of its own resources produced in the country to create such warheads. Kim Jong-un was personally present during the installation of the warhead on the missile. Pyongyang sees nuclear weapons as the only guarantee of the country's existence. For more than half a century, North Korea has legally remained in a state of temporarily suspended war, without any guarantee of its non-resumption. That is why any attempts to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear program have only accelerated it so far.
“The fragile armistice agreement of 1953, which still governs relations between the United States and the DPRK, is an anachronism, it does not fulfill its functions, it does not contribute and cannot somehow ensure security and stability on the Korean Peninsula; it needs to be replaced a long time ago,” emphasizes the head of the department of Korea and Mongolia at the Institute of Oriental Studies Russian Academy Sciences Alexander Vorontsov.
China and Russia have been insisting for years that there is no prospect of continuing pressure on Pyongyang and the need to begin direct negotiations. Moreover, Washington is also offered real opportunity solution to the problem: not even a suspension, but only a reduction in the scale of joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea in exchange for Pyongyang freezing its nuclear missile tests.
“We also spoke with John Kerry. They told us the same thing that the Trump administration is now repeating: this is an unequal proposal, because launches and nuclear tests in North Korea are prohibited by the Security Council, and military exercises are an absolutely legitimate thing. But to this we answer: yes, if we rely on such legalistic logic, of course, no one accuses you of violating international law. But if it comes to war, then the first step must be taken by the one who is smarter and stronger. And there can be no doubt who in this pair has such qualities. Although, who knows...,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
So, the Americans are pressing harshly and senselessly, the Koreans are chomping at the bit to answer, and cutting this vicious circle is offered to us and China. Otherwise - war!
“North Korea's provocative behavior could lead to the US intercepting their missiles - shooting them down both in the air and on the ground before launch, what we call a hot launch. There are both military methods of solution and diplomatic methods - economic pressure, tightening sanctions. There is, after all, the decisive role of China and the influence of Russia in the region, they can put pressure on North Korea,” says retired US Army General Paul Valley.
At the same time, today it is absolutely clear that neither Beijing, nor even more so Moscow, will be able to bring Pyongyang to reason without removing the main threat, and it comes from the United States, which is refusing our proposals to sit down with the Koreans at the negotiating table. At the same time, Trump deliberately continues to escalate the situation. In the conditions of the beginning economic war with China, it is beneficial for the Americans to keep Beijing in constant voltage in the position of the guilty, knowing that the key to solving the problem is with them - in Washington. However, this cannot continue indefinitely. After all, Korean missiles fly further and further each time. Thus, on the one hand, increasing the risk of a fatal accident, on the other, pushing Trump to carry out his threats, which is completely impossible.
“China has a mutual defense treaty with North Korea. Thus, Trump does not have any way of influencing North Korea militarily, he can neither attack nor use military force, so all this is like an empty shock of the air,” says Pyotr Akopov, deputy editor-in-chief of the Vzglyad.ru portal.
Today's explosion is evidence that for the first time in the last quarter century the United States is faced with a situation where there is no alternative to negotiations. Sooner or later, they will have to agree to the scheme proposed by Moscow and Beijing - the cessation of military exercises and guarantees of non-aggression in exchange for freezing Pyongyang's nuclear missile program. The Americans, of course, will not remove their troops from South Korea, and North Korea will remain with its several nuclear warheads, just in case.
We will see how this will be arranged in the near future. However, the latest unexpected statement by the President of Kazakhstan about the need to legalize the nuclear status of states that actually possess nuclear weapons, and Nazarbayev’s subsequent invitation to Washington may not be accidental.
On September 19, Trump, speaking from the UN rostrum, noted that the United States, “possessing enormous strength and patience,” could “completely destroy” the DPRK. The American president called Kim Jong-un a “rocket man” whose mission is “suicidal for himself and his regime.”
The DPRK's first reaction to these statements was disgusting: the Foreign Ministry compared Trump's promises to the “barking of a dog” that cannot frighten Pyongyang. However, a day later, the official North Korean news agency KCNA published Kim Jong-un’s commentary on the words of the American president. He described Trump as a “political heretic,” “a bully and a troublemaker,” threatening to wipe out a sovereign state. The North Korean leader advised his American colleague to “be careful in the choice of words and be attentive to the statements that he makes in front of the whole world.” Trump, according to Pyongyang, is an “outcast and a gangster” who is unsuitable for the country’s top command. The leader of the DPRK perceived his speech as a US refusal to peace, called it “the most outrageous declaration of war” and promised to seriously consider “super-harsh retaliatory measures.” Such measures, according to the DPRK Foreign Minister, could be a super-powerful test of a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean.
At the end of August, Pyongyang, commenting on the launch of its ballistic missile, which flew over Japanese territory for the first time, noted that this was “the first step in military operation armies of the Korean People's Army in the Pacific and a prelude to the containment of Guam,” where US military bases are located.
Pyongyang's threat to test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean came hours after Trump promised to further tighten sanctions against North Korea. New restrictions by the UN Security Council were introduced only on September 11. Then the world organization limited North Korea's ability to import more than 2 million barrels of petroleum products per year, and also imposed a ban on the export of all its textile products and labor, which annually brought in at least $1.2 billion. The UN also authorized the freezing of cargo transported under the North Korean flag in in case of refusal of the ship's command to perform an inspection.
These measures were unanimously supported by all 15 member countries of the UN Security Council. However, initially the United States demanded more, in particular, it insisted on complete ban import of petroleum products and personal sanctions against Kim Jong-un. On September 21, Trump announced that he was expanding his administration’s authority to impose sanctions against North Korea. His decree aims to stop financial flows, which “fuel North Korea’s efforts” to develop nuclear weapons. In particular, Washington intends to tighten sanctions against individuals, enterprises and banks that do business with North Korea, Fox News reports. Separately, we are talking about suppliers of technology and information to the DPRK.
The signing of Trump's sanctions decree was preceded by his consultations on increasing pressure on North Korea with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Until now, North Korea has conducted nuclear tests underground. The last, most powerful, occurred on September 3. Initially, experts estimated its power at 100–120 kt, which is 5–6 times stronger than the previous one, but later increased their estimates to 250 kt. The magnitude of the explosion, initially estimated at 4.8, was later adjusted to 6.1. These estimates confirmed that the DPRK was able to create a hydrogen bomb, since the power of a conventional atomic bomb is limited to 30 kt. Pyongyang officially announced the successful testing of a hydrogen bomb - a warhead for a missile.
Even after the DPRK's underground nuclear test, South Korean observers recorded the release of radioactive gas xenon-133 into the atmosphere, although they stipulated that its concentration was not dangerous to health and the environment. At the same time, an explosion with a power of 250 kt is close to the maximum that the North Korean nuclear test site Punggye-ri could withstand, experts noted. On satellite images, they recorded landslides and rock subsidence at the underground testing sites, which could potentially lead to a violation of its integrity and the release of radionuclides to the surface. How many more tests he can withstand is unknown.
Until now, the presence of a hydrogen bomb has been officially recognized by five countries that have the status of nuclear powers - the USA, Russia, Great Britain, France and China. They are permanent members of the UN Security Council with the right of veto. The completion of the development of such weapons in the DPRK is not recognized.
A North Korean official has hinted at conducting a nuclear test at sea, which would have serious environmental consequences.
The latest heated exchange of pleasantries between the United States and North Korea turned new threat. On Tuesday, during a speech at the United Nations, President Trump said his government would "completely destroy North Korea" if necessary to defend the United States or its allies. On Friday, Kim Jong-un responded, noting that North Korea “will seriously consider the option of appropriate, the most stringent countermeasures in history.”
The North Korean leader did not specify the nature of these countermeasures, but his foreign minister hinted that North Korea could test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean.
"This could be the most powerful bomb explosion in the Pacific," Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters at the UN General Assembly in New York. “We have no idea what actions may be taken as decisions are made by our leader Kim Jong Un.”
North Korea has so far conducted nuclear tests underground and in the sky. Testing a hydrogen bomb in the ocean means mounting a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile and delivering it to the sea. If North Korea did this, it would be the first time a nuclear weapon exploded in the atmosphere in nearly 40 years. This will lead to incalculable geopolitical consequences – and serious environmental impacts.
Hydrogen bombs are much more powerful than atomic bombs, and can produce many times more explosive energy. If such a bomb hits the Pacific Ocean, it will explode in a blinding flash and create a mushroom cloud.
The immediate consequences will likely depend on the height of detonation above water. The initial explosion can destroy most of the life in the impact zone - many fish and other marine life - instantly. When the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, the entire population within 1,600 feet (500 meters) of the epicenter was killed.
The explosion will fill the air and water with radioactive particles. The wind can carry them hundreds of miles.
Smoke from the explosion could block sunlight and interfere with marine life that depends on photosynthesis. Exposure to radiation will cause serious problems for nearby marine life. Radioactivity is known to destroy cells in humans, animals and plants by causing changes in genes. These changes can lead to crippling mutations in future generations. Experts say eggs and larvae of marine organisms are particularly sensitive to radiation. Affected animals may be exposed throughout the food chain.
The test could also have devastating and long-lasting effects on people and other animals if fallout reaches land. The particles can poison the air, soil and water. More than 60 years after the US tested a series of atomic bombs near Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the island remains “uninhabitable,” according to a 2014 report by The Guardian. Residents who left the islands before the tests and returned in the 1970s found high levels radiation in food grown near the nuclear test site and were forced to leave again.
Before the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which was signed in 1996, from 1945 to 1996 different countries More than 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted underground, above ground and under water. The United States tested a nuclear-armed missile in the Pacific Ocean similar in description to what the North Korean minister hinted at in 1962. The last ground test conducted by a nuclear power was organized by China in 1980.
This year alone, North Korea has conducted 19 ballistic missile tests and one nuclear test, according to the National Security Initiative database. nuclear threats" Earlier this month, North Korea said it had successfully tested an underground hydrogen bomb. The event resulted in an artificial earthquake near the test site, which was recorded by seismic activity stations around the world. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake measured 6.3 on the Richter scale. A week later, the United Nations adopted a US-drafted resolution that imposed new sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear provocations.
Pyongyang's hints at a possible hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific are likely to increase political tensions and contribute to the ever-growing debate about the true capabilities of its nuclear program. H-bomb in the ocean, of course, will put an end to any assumptions.
Tensions between the United States and the DPRK increased significantly after Donald Trump's speech at the UN General Assembly, in which he promised to “destroy the DPRK” if they pose a threat to the United States and allies. In response to this, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that the response to the US President’s statement would be “the toughest measures.” And subsequently, North Korean Foreign Minister Lee Yong Ho shed light on a possible response to Trump - testing a hydrogen (thermonuclear) bomb in the Pacific Ocean. The Atlantic writes about exactly how this bomb will affect the ocean (translation - Depo.ua).
What does it mean
North Korea has already conducted nuclear tests in underground silos and launched ballistic missiles. Testing a hydrogen bomb in the ocean could mean that the warhead would be attached to a ballistic missile that would be launched toward the ocean. If North Korea conducts its next test, it will be the first detonation of a nuclear weapon in the atmosphere for nearly 40 years. And, of course, it will have a significant impact on the environment.
The hydrogen bomb is more powerful than conventional ones nuclear bombs, since it is capable of generating much more explosive energy.
What exactly will happen
If a hydrogen bomb hits the Pacific Ocean, it will detonate with a blinding flash and a mushroom cloud will be visible afterwards. If we talk about the consequences, most likely they will depend on the height of the detonation above the water. The initial explosion can kill most of the life in the detonation zone - many fish and other animals in the ocean will die instantly. When the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, the entire population within a 500-meter radius was killed.
The explosion will send radioactive particles into the sky and water. The wind will carry them thousands of kilometers away.
The smoke—and the mushroom cloud itself—will obscure the Sun. Due to lack sun rays Organisms in the ocean that depend on photosynthesis to survive will be affected. Radiation will also affect health life forms located in neighboring seas. Radiation is known to damage human, animal and plant cells by causing changes in their genes. These changes may lead to mutation in future generations. According to experts, eggs and larvae of marine organisms are especially sensitive to radiation.
The test could also have long-term negative effects on people and animals if radiation particles reach the ground.
They can pollute the air, soil and water bodies. More than 60 years after the US tested a series of atomic bombs off Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, the island remains “uninhabitable”, according to a 2014 report by The Guardian. Even before the tests, residents were displaced but returned in the 1970s. However, they saw a high level of radiation in the products grown near the nuclear testing zone, and were forced to leave this area again.
Story
Between 1945 and 1996, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were carried out by different countries in underground mines and reservoirs. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty has been in force since 1996. The United States tested a nuclear missile, according to one of North Korea's vice foreign ministers, in the Pacific Ocean in 1962. Latest ground test with nuclear energy took place in China in 1980.
This year alone, North Korea conducted 19 ballistic missile tests and one nuclear test. Earlier this month, North Korea said it had conducted a successful underground test of a hydrogen bomb. Because of this, an artificial earthquake occurred near the test site, which was recorded by seismic activity stations around the world. A week later, the United Nations adopted a resolution calling for new sanctions against North Korea.
The site editors are not responsible for the content of materials in the “Blogs” and “Articles” sections. The editor's opinion may differ from the author's.
A North Korean official has hinted at conducting a nuclear test at sea, which would have serious environmental consequences.
The latest heated exchange of pleasantries between the United States and North Korea has turned into a new threat. On Tuesday, during a speech at the United Nations, President Trump said his government would "completely destroy North Korea" if necessary to defend the United States or its allies. On Friday, Kim Jong-un responded, noting that North Korea “will seriously consider the option of appropriate, the most stringent countermeasures in history.”
The North Korean leader did not specify the nature of these countermeasures, but his foreign minister hinted that North Korea could test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean.
"This could be the most powerful bomb explosion in the Pacific," Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters at the UN General Assembly in New York. “We have no idea what actions may be taken as decisions are made by our leader Kim Jong Un.”
North Korea has so far conducted nuclear tests underground and in the sky. Testing a hydrogen bomb in the ocean means mounting a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile and delivering it to the sea. If North Korea did this, it would be the first time a nuclear weapon exploded in the atmosphere in nearly 40 years. This will lead to incalculable geopolitical consequences – and serious environmental impacts.
Hydrogen bombs are much more powerful than atomic bombs, and are capable of producing many times more explosive energy. If such a bomb hits the Pacific Ocean, it will explode in a blinding flash and create a mushroom cloud.
The immediate consequences will likely depend on the height of detonation above water. The initial explosion can destroy most of the life in the impact zone—many fish and other marine life—instantly. When the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, the entire population within 1,600 feet (500 meters) of the epicenter was killed.
The explosion will fill the air and water with radioactive particles. The wind can carry them hundreds of miles.
Smoke from the explosion could block sunlight and interfere with marine life that depends on photosynthesis. Exposure to radiation will cause serious problems for nearby marine life. Radioactivity is known to destroy cells in humans, animals and plants by causing changes in genes. These changes can lead to crippling mutations in future generations. According to experts, eggs and larvae of marine organisms are especially sensitive to radiation. Affected animals may be exposed throughout the food chain.
The test could also have devastating and long-lasting effects on people and other animals if fallout reaches land. The particles can poison the air, soil and water. More than 60 years after the US tested a series of atomic bombs near Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the island remains “uninhabitable,” according to a 2014 report by The Guardian. Residents who left the islands before the tests and returned in the 1970s found high levels of radiation in food grown near the nuclear test site and were forced to leave again.
Before the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was signed in 1996, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted underground, above ground and under water by various countries between 1945 and 1996. The United States tested a nuclear-armed missile in the Pacific Ocean similar in description to what the North Korean minister hinted at in 1962. The last ground test conducted by a nuclear power was organized by China in 1980.
This year alone, North Korea has conducted 19 ballistic missile tests and one nuclear test, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative database. Earlier this month, North Korea said it had successfully tested an underground hydrogen bomb. The event resulted in an artificial earthquake near the test site, which was the site of seismic activity stations around the world. The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake measured 6.3 on the Richter scale. A week later, the United Nations adopted a US-drafted resolution that imposed new sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear provocations.
Pyongyang's hints at a possible hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific are likely to increase political tensions and contribute to the ever-growing debate about the true capabilities of its nuclear program. A hydrogen bomb in the ocean, of course, will put an end to any assumptions.
I agree with the professor, as a person who deals with this.
I will add that they are afraid not only of an explosion at a distance of 1 km from the surface. 5 types: air, high-altitude, ground, underground, underwater, surface: for example:
Aerial nuclear explosions include explosions in the air at such a height that the luminous area of the explosion does not touch the surface of the earth (water). One sign of an airburst is that the dust plume does not connect with the explosion cloud (high airburst). The air burst can be high or low.
The point on the surface of the earth (water) above which the explosion occurred is called the epicenter of the explosion.
An aerial nuclear explosion begins with a dazzling, short-term flash, the light from which can be observed at a distance of several tens and hundreds of kilometers. Following the flash, a spherical luminous area appears at the site of the explosion, which quickly increases in size and rises. The temperature of the luminous region reaches tens of millions of degrees. The luminous area serves powerful source light radiation. As the fireball grows in size, it quickly rises and cools, turning into a rising swirling cloud. When a fireball rises, and then a swirling cloud, a powerful upward flow of air is created, which sucks dust raised by the explosion from the ground, which is held in the air for several tens of minutes.
In a low-air explosion, the dust column raised by the explosion may merge with the explosion cloud; the result is a mushroom-shaped cloud. If an air explosion occurs at a high altitude, the dust column may not connect with the cloud. The cloud of a nuclear explosion, moving with the wind, loses its characteristic shape and dissipates. A nuclear explosion is accompanied by a sharp sound, reminiscent of a strong clap of thunder. Air explosions can be used by the enemy to defeat troops on the battlefield, destroy urban and industrial buildings, destruction of aircraft and airfield structures. The damaging factors of an airborne nuclear explosion are: shock wave, light radiation, penetrating radiation and electromagnetic pulse.
1.2. High altitude nuclear explosion
A high-altitude nuclear explosion is carried out at an altitude of 10 km or more from the surface of the earth. During high-altitude explosions at an altitude of several tens of kilometers, a spherical luminous area is formed at the explosion site; its dimensions are larger than during an explosion of the same power in the ground layer of the atmosphere. After cooling, the glowing area turns into a swirling ring cloud. A dust column and dust cloud are not formed during a high-altitude explosion. At nuclear explosions at altitudes up to 25-30 km, the damaging factors of this explosion are a shock wave, light radiation, penetrating radiation and an electromagnetic pulse.
As the height of the explosion increases due to atmospheric rarefaction, the shock wave weakens significantly, and the role of light radiation and penetrating radiation increases. Explosions occurring in the ionospheric region create areas or regions of increased ionization in the atmosphere, which can affect the propagation of radio waves (ultra-short wave range) and disrupt the operation of radio equipment.
There is practically no radioactive contamination of the earth's surface during high-altitude nuclear explosions.
High altitude explosions can be used to destroy airborne and space assets attack and reconnaissance: aircraft, cruise missiles, satellites, ballistic missile warheads.
Hydrogen Bomb (HB, VB) - weapon mass destruction, which has incredible destructive power (its power is estimated at megatons in TNT equivalent). The principle of operation of the bomb and its structure are based on the use of energy thermonuclear fusion hydrogen nuclei. The processes occurring during the explosion are similar to those occurring on stars (including the Sun). The first test of a VB suitable for long-distance transportation (designed by A.D. Sakharov) was carried out in the Soviet Union at a test site near Semipalatinsk.
Thermonuclear reaction
The sun contains huge reserves of hydrogen, which is under constant influence of ultra-high pressure and temperature (about 15 million degrees Kelvin). At such an extreme plasma density and temperature, the nuclei of hydrogen atoms randomly collide with each other. The result of collisions is the fusion of nuclei, and as a consequence, the formation of nuclei of a heavier element - helium.
Reactions of this type are called thermonuclear fusion; they are characterized by the release of colossal amounts of energy. The laws of physics explain the energy release during a thermonuclear reaction as follows: part of the mass of light nuclei involved in the formation of more heavy elements , remains unused and turns into pure energy in colossal quantities. That is why our celestial body loses approximately 4 million tons of matter per second, releasing space
continuous flow of energy.
Isotopes of hydrogen The simplest of all existing atoms is the hydrogen atom. It consists of just one proton, which forms the nucleus, and a single electron orbiting around it. As a result scientific research
water (H2O), it was found that so-called “heavy” water is present in small quantities. It contains “heavy” isotopes of hydrogen (2H or deuterium), the nuclei of which, in addition to one proton, also contain one neutron (a particle close in mass to a proton, but devoid of charge). Science also knows tritium, the third isotope of hydrogen, the nucleus of which contains 1 proton and 2 neutrons. Tritium is characterized by instability and constant spontaneous decay with the release of energy (radiation), resulting in the formation of a helium isotope. Traces of tritium are found in upper layers
Development and first tests of the hydrogen bomb
As a result of a thorough theoretical analysis, experts from the USSR and the USA came to the conclusion that a mixture of deuterium and tritium makes it easiest to launch a thermonuclear fusion reaction. Armed with this knowledge, scientists from the United States in the 50s of the last century began to create a hydrogen bomb. And already in the spring of 1951, a test test was carried out at the Enewetak test site (an atoll in the Pacific Ocean), but then only partial thermonuclear fusion was achieved.
A little more than a year passed, and in November 1952 the second test of a hydrogen bomb with a yield of about 10 Mt of TNT was carried out. However, that explosion can hardly be called an explosion of a thermonuclear bomb in modern understanding: in essence, the device was a large container (the size of a three-story house) filled with liquid deuterium.
Russia has also taken up improvement atomic weapons, and the first hydrogen bomb of the A.D. project. Sakharov was tested at the Semipalatinsk test site on August 12, 1953. RDS-6 (this type of weapon of mass destruction was nicknamed Sakharov’s “puff”, since its design involved the sequential placement of layers of deuterium surrounding the initiator charge) had a power of 10 Mt. However, unlike the American “three-story house,” the Soviet bomb was compact, and it could be quickly delivered to the drop site on enemy territory on a strategic bomber.
Accepting the challenge, the United States in March 1954 exploded a more powerful aerial bomb (15 Mt) at a test site on Bikini Atoll (Pacific Ocean). The test caused a release into the atmosphere large quantity radioactive substances, some of which fell in precipitation hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion.
The Japanese ship "Lucky Dragon" and instruments installed on Rogelap Island recorded a sharp increase in radiation.
Since the processes that occur during the detonation of a hydrogen bomb produce stable, harmless helium, it was expected that radioactive emissions should not exceed the level of contamination from an atomic fusion detonator. But calculations and measurements of actual radioactive fallout varied greatly, both in quantity and composition. Therefore, the US leadership decided to temporarily suspend the design of this weapon until its impact on the environment and humans is fully studied.
Video: tests in the USSR
The USSR put a bold point in the chain of increasing the tonnage of hydrogen bombs when on October 30, 1961, a test of the 50-megaton (largest in history) “Tsar Bomba” was carried out on Novaya Zemlya - the result of many years of work research group HELL. Sakharov. The explosion thundered at an altitude of 4 kilometers, and the shock wave was recorded three times by instruments throughout to the globe. Despite the fact that the test did not reveal any failures, the bomb never entered service. But the very fact that the Soviets possessed such weapons made an indelible impression on the whole world, and the United States stopped accumulating the tonnage of its nuclear arsenal. Russia, in turn, decided to abandon the introduction of warheads with hydrogen charges into combat duty.
The hydrogen bomb is the most complex technical device, the explosion of which requires the sequential occurrence of a number of processes.
First, the detonation of the initiator charge located inside the WB shell (miniature atomic bomb), which results in a powerful emission of neutrons and the creation high temperature required to initiate thermonuclear fusion in the main charge. Massive neutron bombardment of the lithium deuteride insert (obtained by combining deuterium with the lithium-6 isotope) begins.
Under the influence of neutrons, lithium-6 splits into tritium and helium. The atomic fuse in this case becomes a source of materials necessary for thermonuclear fusion to occur in the detonated bomb itself.
A mixture of tritium and deuterium triggers a thermonuclear reaction, causing the temperature inside the bomb to rapidly increase, and more and more hydrogen is involved in the process.
The principle of operation of a hydrogen bomb implies the ultra-fast occurrence of these processes (the charge device and the layout of the main elements contribute to this), which to the observer appear instantaneous.
Superbomb: fission, fusion, fission
The sequence of processes described above ends after the start of the reaction of deuterium with tritium. Next, it was decided to use nuclear fission rather than fusion of heavier ones. After the fusion of tritium and deuterium nuclei, free helium and fast neutrons are released, the energy of which is sufficient to initiate the fission of uranium-238 nuclei. Fast neutrons are capable of splitting atoms from the uranium shell of a superbomb. The fission of a ton of uranium generates energy of about 18 Mt. In this case, energy is spent not only on creating a blast wave and releasing a colossal amount of heat. Each uranium atom decays into two radioactive “fragments.” A whole “bouquet” of different chemical elements
(up to 36) and about two hundred radioactive isotopes. It is for this reason that numerous radioactive fallouts are formed, recorded hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion. After the fall " iron curtain
“, it became known that the USSR was planning to develop a “Tsar Bomb” with a capacity of 100 Mt. Due to the fact that at that time there was no aircraft capable of carrying such a massive charge, the idea was abandoned in favor of a 50 Mt bomb.
Consequences of a hydrogen bomb explosion
Shock wave
The explosion of a hydrogen bomb entails large-scale destruction and consequences, and the primary (obvious, direct) impact is threefold. The most obvious of all direct impacts is a shock wave of ultra-high intensity. Its destructive ability decreases with distance from the epicenter of the explosion, and also depends on the power of the bomb itself and the height at which the charge detonated.
Thermal effect The effect of the thermal impact of an explosion depends on the same factors as power shock wave
According to calculations based on real-life tests, people have a 50% chance of surviving if they:
- They are located in a reinforced concrete shelter (underground) 8 km from the epicenter of the explosion (EV);
- They are located in residential buildings at a distance of 15 km from the EV;
- They will find themselves in an open area at a distance of more than 20 km from the EV with poor visibility (for a “clean” atmosphere minimum distance in this case it will be 25 km).
With distance from EVs, the probability of surviving for people who find themselves on the open area. So, at a distance of 32 km it will be 90-95%. A radius of 40-45 km is the limit for the primary impact of an explosion.
Fire ball
Another obvious impact from the explosion of a hydrogen bomb is self-sustaining firestorms (hurricanes), formed as a result of colossal masses of combustible material being drawn into the fireball. But despite this, the most dangerous consequence of the explosion in terms of impact will be radiation contamination environment for tens of kilometers around.
Fallout
The fireball that appears after the explosion is quickly filled with radioactive particles in huge quantities (products of the decay of heavy nuclei). The particle size is so small that when they enter the upper atmosphere, they can stay there for a very long time. Everything that the fireball reaches on the surface of the earth instantly turns into ash and dust, and then is drawn into the pillar of fire.
Flame vortices mix these particles with charged particles, forming a dangerous mixture of radioactive dust, the process of sedimentation of the granules of which lasts for a long time. Large dust settles quite quickly, but fine dust spreads air currents
over vast distances, gradually falling out of the newly formed cloud. Large and most charged particles settle in the immediate vicinity of the EC; ash particles visible to the eye can still be found hundreds of kilometers away. They form a deadly cover, several centimeters thick. Anyone who gets close to him risks receiving a serious dose of radiation. Smaller, more indistinguishable particles can float in the atmosphere long years food chains. For this reason, examinations of people located thousands of kilometers from the testing sites reveal strontium-90 accumulated in the bones. Even if its content is extremely low, the prospect of being a “landfill for storing radioactive waste” does not bode well for a person, leading to the development of bone malignancies. In regions of Russia (as well as other countries) close to places trial runs hydrogen bombs, an increased radioactive background is still observed, which once again proves the ability of this type of weapon to leave significant consequences.
Video about the hydrogen bomb
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