The Project Gutenberg EBook of Worldwide Effects of Nuclear War: Some
Perspectives, by United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Worldwide Effects of Nuclear War: Some Perspectives

Author: United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

Posting Date: August 12, 2008 [EBook #684]
Release Date: October, 1996

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WORLDWIDE EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR WAR ***

Produced by Gregory Walker

For an HTML version of this document and additional public domain
documents on nuclear history, visit Trinity Atomic Web Site:
http://www.envirolink.org/issues/nuketesting/

WORLDWIDE EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR WAR - - - SOME PERSPECTIVES

U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, 1975.

CONTENTS

Foreword
Introduction
The Mechanics of Nuclear Explosions
Radioactive Fallout
A. Local Fallout
B. Worldwide Effects of Fallout
Alterations of the Global Environment
A. High Altitude Dust
B. Ozone
Some Conclusions

Note 1: Nuclear Weapons Yield
Note 2: Nuclear Weapons Design
Note 3: Radioactivity
Note 4: Nuclear Half-Life
Note 5: Oxygen, Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation

FOREWORD

Much research has been devoted to the effects of nuclear weapons. But
studies have been concerned for the most part with those immediate
consequences which would be suffered by a country that was the direct
target of nuclear attack. Relatively few studies have examined the
worldwide, long term effects.

Realistic and responsible arms control policy calls for our knowing
more about these wider effects and for making this knowledge available
to the public. To learn more about them, the Arms Control and
Disarmament Agency (ACDA) has initiated a number of projects, including
a National Academy of Sciences study, requested in April 1974. The
Academy's study, Long-Term Worldwide Effects of Multiple Nuclear
Weapons Detonations, a highly technical document of more than 200
pages, is now available. The present brief publication seeks to
include its essential findings, along with the results of related
studies of this Agency, and to p