User:JKendraB/ Nuclear Weapon

Nuclear Weapons and the Environment

Nuclear weapons use nuclear fission and/or fusion to release massive amounts of energy. Atomic bombs use nuclear fission, whereas hydrogen bombs use nuclear fusion. These blasts of energy are used as weapons in war as they release massive shockwaves, heat and radiation.

Historical Context

Nuclear testing between 1945 and 2013 by country

The atomic age began just after World War 2. The first nuclear explosion test occurred in 1945 as the United States prepared for its attack on Japan. The United states dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. On August 9, 1945, the United States later dropped a bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. These events resulted in the end of World War 2, but also resulted in the immediate death/injury of hundreds of thousands. With the emerging threat of nuclear war, the USSR (Russia) and Great Britain manufactured and tested their own nuclear weapons in the following years. The Cold War resulted in an ample amount of nuclear tests performed by the USSR and the United States. In 1960 France joined the nuclear arms race, and in 1964 China tested their first atomic bomb. The nuclear powers throughout history include the USSR (Russia), the United States, France, China, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.

Around 85% of all nuclear tests between 1945 and 2006 were performed by the United States or the Russia. Majority (75%) of these tests were conducted underground rather than in the atmosphere. As a result of where Russia and the United States are located, the Northern Hemisphere is far more affected by nuclear testing fallout. The United States is the only known country to currently house nuclear weapons with the power to reach any country in the world.

Treaties, Agreements, and Conferences

• 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT): Countries signed to ban the practice of nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere.
• 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT): Countries signed to ban the arming of nuclear weapons. Not all countries signed, but it was still a good effort to end nuclear weapons testing.
• 1986 Treaty of Rarotonga or the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty: Countries in the South Pacific signed to prevent the arming of nuclear weapons by those countries who agreed to the treaty.
• 1995 Bankok Treaty: Established a Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.
• 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Bans all or any nuclear weapons testing and explosions. It was signed by 185 countries and adopted by the United Nations.
• 1996 Pelindaba Treaty: Established an African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.
• 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference: Conference held in which the potential negative effects of nuclear warfare on humanity was established and confirmed.

Environmental Impacts of Nuclear Weapons Testing

Immediate Effects

Cloud above Nagasaki after the nuclear bomb

When an atomic bomb is set off, shockwaves, and radiation are intense. A fiery cloud expands rapidly covering the ground and atmosphere. Temperatures increase to up to 10 million degrees Celsius. Debris containing radioactive particles is spread wide distances and lands throughout the area . Any life within the area of detonation is instantly killed or sustains intense radiation poisoning and burns.

Long Term Effects

The radioactive isotopes 14C, 137Cs, and 90Sr are released during the fission process that takes place during nuclear weapons testing. 14C is environmentally damaging as it is later oxidizes into 14CO2, which is then stored in different carbon reservoirs on the Earth. Atmospheric nuclear weapons testing is considerably more harmful than underground testing, as these 14C radionuclides are released directly and immediately into the atmosphere. This explains the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty to ban all forms of nuclear testing besides underground tests. The only two nuclear powers who failed to sign this treaty were France and China, which both continued to perform atmospheric tests post 1963.

Atmospheric Testing

The release of the radioactive isotope 14C through atmospheric tests can affect other areas of the biosphere. 14C enters the ocean and water reserves through gas exchange with the atmosphere. The marine environment is able to store more carbon than the atmosphere, and though taking excess 14C, it helps limit the environmental effects on the atmosphere. Although limiting the effects on the atmosphere, the increased carbon in the ocean affects aquatic life.

President Kennedy signs Nuclear Test Ban Treaty 1963

The radionuclide 137Cs also impacts the hydrosphere. Nuclear fallout from atmospheric testing lands in the ocean and contributes to marine radioactivity. This isotope enters the food chain through aquatic life and can return to humans through the food chain. 90Sr and 137Cs tend to exit the atmosphere as wet deposition (rainfall). This rain leeches into the soil, polluting the terrestrial environment. Plants are then transferred these radioactive isotopes, and they enter the food system once again.

Currently, there are around 13,000 nuclear devices between the many nuclear powers. The effects of worldwide nuclear conflict are comparable to that of climate change. Unlike climate change, the ramifications of nuclear disaster would become evident at a far faster scale. The detonation of 50 to 100 bombs can create enough atmospheric debris to decrease temperatures drastically and inhibit plant growth. The ultraviolet radiation can damage the ozone layer, and the smoke released will pollute the atmosphere. Nuclear weapons pose the threat of sudden change to Earth's atmosphere, which can be difficult to combat.

Underground Testing

Although underground nuclear weapons testing is not banned worldwide, it is still dangerous. Isotopes released underground can accidentally enter the atmosphere through the process of venting. Underground tests can also affect the ground water system. This change in ground water can lead to desertification or water pollution through radioactivity. Soil contamination through radiation can also affect the growth of crops and the health of plant life. Underground nuclear testing can also affect above ground geography. In some cases, the immense forces resulting from these tests led to the creation of large craters.