BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World

Subject: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: Ebbie
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 01:19 PM

After the nuclear blasts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki there must have been fallout that blew around the world.

Question: Is there an official, agreed-upon level of radioactivity that made it around the world? How heavy was it? Given the prevailing winds, were there any after-effects suffered by continents and countries and cities next in line and for what length of time were the levels measureable?

I'm sure there are people and agencies who have tracked all this but a single question at ask.com didn't give me much information.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 01:39 PM

The effect was negligable only when compared to what happened next.

There have been over 300 atmospheric nuclear blasts since 1948.
Some of them were above the Stratosphere and ionoshere, some were deep in the sea off San Diego. America was not the sole atmospheric H bomb tester.

The leukemia rate for children went up 1000%
A single atom of plutonium in your body has the ability to trigger a cancerous response.

The Kennedy administration was the last known presidency to have tested above ground.

Chernobyl radiocativity did make it worldwide but was worst to the north and west of the plant as far as Denmark and China.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: gnu
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 01:57 PM

Hey Ebbie.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 02:18 PM

My sister Carol was a US Army casualty of the cold war nuclear tests.
Casualty is a too nice a word for the inch by inch removal of her internal organs and slow horrid death.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: gnu
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 02:27 PM

My old man was in Nevada for some of the tests. He and a handful of others (mostly) RCAF set up the GND (Ground Nuclear Defense) Section and he was an instructor in the basics of same. He told me some things relating to your questions.

All tests were followed up with weather observations at all altitudes, for long periods. Radiation was measured at all military US, British, French, Spanish... bases daily.

As well, some tests were conducted during specific weather conditions with the intent of measuring high altitude fallout at great distances, particularly eastern US and CA. If you go through the test names you may note that some are names of states or towns. Some tests also had a "sub-name. One was Schooner and the high altitude fallout was specifically "aimed" at Atlantic Canada.

They also used herds of sheep placed at varying distances... I'll stop there... you get the drift.

Just one more... I was fascinated as a wee lad when he told me of the first test he attended. I don't know what distance they were away but the men were told to shield their eyes with their hands and he saw the bones in his hands. Okay... one more... I was even more fascinated by the fact that he could find a rock, no matter where I hid it, with a gieger counter.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: gnu
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 02:32 PM

Same as my old man, Donuel. There were thousands.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: jeffp
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 02:36 PM

My grandfather was one of the physicists working on the bomb. He was present at blasts in the Pacific atolls. He died of multiple myeloma and was radioactive himself at his death.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 03:04 PM

Human remains can be easily dated as pre or post 1945 by the radio isotopes present.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 03:23 PM

Yep, Hiroshima and Nagasaki weren't even the tip of the iceberg. If you you want to worry about a bomb from that era, Trinity which took place on US soil might be more worrisome.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: Donuel
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 03:34 PM

William Shatner narrarated a very good video series The A bomb.
It showed some of the nukes detonated in high orbit at night.
Russia might have the record for megatonage for one blast.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: Mrrzy
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 03:42 PM

Check out the radioactive wild boar rampaging around Bavaria, they've been eating the truffles that have been collecting all the Chernobyl radiation that never happened...

And that film that was on a thread here about 1945 - 1998, I think... may, the French sure nuked the South Pacific!

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: gnu
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 04:30 PM

High orbit blasts will be the first to be detonated in a war, but not necessarily nukes. Such blasts can render electic power transmission non-existant depending on various factors. Details are far beyond me. Just a vague memory of what my old man told me.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: beardedbruce
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 04:44 PM

EMP ( requires nukes)

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: bubblyrat
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 05:30 PM

I remember reading a "National Geographic" back,I think, in the 1950s, in which there was an item about some fishermen who were found drifting about in their boat, out on the ocean (Pacific ?) and when rescued,they were all sick,with burns on their skin and metallic particles in their hair. It seems that they'd been through a radiation cloud ( without the benefit of "pre-wetting",which they probably didn't know about anyway )and fallout particles had stuck to them. I think it must have been from a British or French nuclear test ; does anyone out there know ??

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: artbrooks
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 07:04 PM

There was an extensive series of US tests in the Marshall Is. during the mid-1950s.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: Rapparee
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 10:21 PM

But a load of "buckshot" placed in same orbit, but reversed direction, as a satellite will also take it out of action. And it will "kill" it each time it passes through the "shrapnel".

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: Ebbie
Date: 10 Sep 10 - 12:14 AM

Amazing the things humankind will do even when there is no exit.

Subject: RE: BS: Radioactive Aftermath- Japan & the World
From: beardedbruce
Date: 10 Sep 10 - 09:23 AM

Rapaire,

Get to the Getaway sometime- I worked a number of years on SDIO/BMDO programs.