Jean M. Bele

Physics Dept., Laboratory for Nuclear Science, MIT

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A nuclear bomb has the potential to have an impact over a large area due to several factors such as wind and the size of the weapon. This model provides the distribution of fallout, by wind, from nuclear detonations of various yields. The contours depict calculated radiation doses of 3000, 1000, and 300 RADS hours after detonation. Assumed wind speed is 15 and 30 miles per hour for a surface burst. 

Notes: The nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II yielded 15 kilotons and the one dropped on Nagasaki was almost 20 kilotons. Today most powerful nuclear weapon yields are over 1000 kilotons, almost 660 more powerful then the Hiroshima bomb.

For a specific effect, choose the energy yield of the nuclear weapon explosion (kilotons):

Enter the Yield of the Weapon: Detonate