Post-apocalypse - the world after nuclear war. How to survive a nuclear war
So, here it comes, the day, or night, of disaster. In most religions, something similar is called “Judgment Day.” In everyday life: “end of the world.” Among the most educated citizens it is called “the apocalypse.” Scientists call it a fleeting nuclear war, and politicians say that this is the unfortunate result of political intrigue, a game or a scam... I would simply call it “the result.”
Yes, the result of everything: a war that ordinary citizens don’t need and, in everyday language, doesn’t matter; the result of the entire life and entire time of existence of humanity, which, unlike other types of living beings, destroyed itself. In any case, nuclear war is the only possible outcome of the policy of all the leading countries of the world (there will not be a country that would not be affected by this conflict looming over us).
As I have already said (you can disagree with me at your will), the two main and most massive nuclear strikes against Russia will be delivered to Siberia (if not throughout its entire territory, then to Western Siberia for sure) and on the capital of Russia - Moscow.
Siberia. I don't know if our missile forces there will be able to deliver any kind of retaliatory strike, but the fact is that she will face a catastrophe, the scale and damage of which I simply cannot describe. The exact location of the “poplars” is still not known for certain, so there (in Western Siberia) a gray, ashen-colored, lifeless desert is formed, disfigured by 2-3 craters.
Moscow. Nuclear version. The missiles will fall on the far border (or somewhere closer) of the Moscow region, thereby causing enormous damage. I don’t want to give numbers of potential victims, but their fate will be far from worse... A large-scale earthquake will occur in Moscow itself, and a thick black veil will hang over the capital for at least a month. About half of the inhabitants will die, the rest will suffer.
In Moscow there will be an increased background radiation and those few “lucky ones” will die a painful death. The survivors of the Moscow bomb shelters will, after several decades, populate the dead city by expanding the shelters and using the drawings, instructions and weapons stored there. Of course, a nuclear explosion, albeit a relatively distant one, will entail new mutations among the residents of Moscow, although they are still taking place.
Special firearms will disperse acid-carrying clouds as they approach the capital of what was by that time Russia. All of Moscow will be surrounded along its reduced border by a number of defense points against attacks from outside in the form of machine gun nests, mortar positions, etc.
Biological version. Knowing about the possible deviation of nuclear missiles from their target, the state(s) unfriendly to us will use biological weapons. The trick is that whether we shoot down such a weapon or not, it will still have a direct impact on all of Moscow and its region. The composition of such weapons can be very different: from bird flu to some kind of rage virus, or maybe something else... St. Petersburg will be less affected.
Armed gangs, whose members were rejected by Moscow, will appear throughout. Siberia will be considered a dead territory, where the Geiger counter will simply break down without having time to show the radiation level. The Volga region will be abandoned (except for the crazy loners wandering around Russia simply because long stays are life-threatening). New species of living creatures will appear, among which there will be former people, aggressive, passive and neutral creatures.
The only thing that I can say more or less confidently (although what can one be sure of here) is about the attempt to establish a connection between the two former capitals... Returning to the biological version, everything is the same: after some time, the survivors will still get out of the bomb shelters and clean up (as far as possible) Moscow... “How glad I am that I will not survive this day...” - the last words of a resident of the Moscow region, who died in terrible agony, but with a smile on his face...
CommentsThe last resource is especially interesting. These are materials from the book by A.S. Ginzburg "Planet Earth in the post-nuclear era." Every writer who considers himself a “science fiction writer” should study it immediately.)) Thank you all. Good luck and creative success.)
10/19/2008 20:46, fsd
everything will be like in Metro 2033
01.12.2008 00:16, BORN
12/16/2008 01:48, Guest
The missiles will arrive faster - not ballistic, but cruise missiles. The first strike will occur in less than 10 minutes. Radar reconnaissance systems do not cover the entire territory of Russia, and the number of operational nuclear submarines is decreasing every year. But even if there is no retaliatory strike, the whole world will be plunged into chaos. A complete catastrophe can only be avoided by carrying out “precision” strikes, incl. and nuclear weapons, completely protecting themselves from enemy retaliatory actions. And we seem to be heading towards this...
02/06/2009 18:40, Guest
Cruise missiles need to be launched from somewhere.
At the same time, they are much more effective at shooting down than ballistic ones.
As for the neutron bomb - (a) it exists, and not in prototypes; (b) although they cause less damage to non-living things, this non-living thing begins to radiate itself - so this is not the most popular weapon. Tactical nuclear weapons are much more interesting in this regard.
02/08/2009 00:47, Guest
Read real instructions special services in case of a nuclear threat...No need to invent anything. Firstly, the approach time of a missile from a nuclear submarine based in the Arctic Ocean is 7 minutes, from American territory - 14 minutes... Cruise missiles are more difficult to shoot down than ballistic ones, precisely because of the flight altitude... Moscow will definitely be bombed, Moreover, the bomb, if our valiant missile defense forces are all right, will fall within the boulevard ring. If you want to win the war, first of all destroy the capital. The estimated time of impact is 10 am Washington time, i.e. approximately 6 pm Moscow time, rush hour. Only those who will be in the subway at this time will be able to survive; the sealed doors close immediately after the alarm. No one will wait until a crowd of people deigns to go down the escalator. And in general, in the epicenter of an explosion, no metro will help, modern bombs are not “Baby” and “Fat Man”, they will blow everything to the mother and that’s it...
05/03/2009 21:42, Guest
As for cruise missiles - yes, most radars are designed to search for targets in high layers of the atmosphere, while cruise missiles fly lower, so they end up in a “dead zone”, and besides, they are able to perform “anti-aircraft maneuvers”; As for ballistic ones, don’t forget that they are covered by decoys.
07/31/2009 21:27, Guest
Real "nuyu"" instrukciyu?? Eto real "naya instrukciya? lydey vedetsya na etu,instrukciyu"",da eshe i velichayut ee,nastoyashey"" instrukciey, azh dlya specsluzhb!Children...
04/04/2009 07:56, Guest
I fundamentally disagree with 14 minutes, you will still have time until the missile defense system shoots down warheads, around 20 minutes. They will hit strategically important targets, no one will send anything to grandpa’s village, there will definitely be a retaliatory strike, and not weaker, the Strategic Missile Forces need about 3 minutes for the missiles to take off, and the metro will not save anyone, absolutely
05/26/2009 12:17, Guest
Why do you think that attacks will be carried out on Simbir and Moscow and St. Petersburg, and isn’t there a base and a construction plant for submarines, a shipyard, etc. in Arkhangelsk? I believe strikes will be delivered to all major cities and defense factories.
06/08/2009 14:10, Guest
I learned more from the comments than from the text itself. Well done guys, keep it up))))
06/10/2009 14:55, Guest
About the mutation in Chernobyl, in this moment the mutation turned into an increased resistance of animals and plants to radiation, there are now a lot of horses, wild boars (often seen at checkpoints) in rivers there are huge catfish, strawberries the size of melons. But in general the mutation itself, like in foul, if you remember, was due to the modification of the PEB virus under the influence radiation
06/11/2009 23:19, Guest
Much depends on the enemy, his goals and reasons for aggression. Why guess, if someone really needs it, they will screw it up so much that Moscow and Siberia and Arkhangelsk and Murmansk and Sevastopol and Vladivostok will suffer, but the one who screws will definitely get screwed, in short, they will answer for the market. Many military specialists have worked and are working specifically on this, developing countermeasures and protection. But in general, no one doubts that war is the lot of tough men who have been burned by this same war. But if these serious adults, when inventing all this hell, did not think about their children and grandchildren, potential residents of this hell, then what can children and grandchildren do except express their opinions, fears and ideas in this form. So you shouldn’t react aggressively to such ideas about modern war, you should be glad that they even exist.
06/23/2009 19:44, Dimon16
I also want to write a saga about the post-apocalyptic life of a person. I don't know where to start...
06/29/2009 13:36, ressik
The story is cute, but the nuclear bombing option is not relevant. Firstly, the missiles will not reach if they are launched at all (for example, the Su 34, the best attack aircraft in the world now, was already flown in 90), so there are still technologies that, God willing, we will find out in 20 years. There are projects from 70 years ago with plasma that are now breaking through in the press ! the largest % of the gradual destruction of a person or a country by GMOs through internal conflicts and internal instability (rebellions, etc.) and then after tavo how to present all this as a gift, how the kravinos system can be struck! and it’s not nuclear, since the contaminated territory will be cleaned by those who do not suffer damage! Siberia is no longer needed because there are 1 underground bases there. And which even the UFO doesn’t know) and secondly, there are deposits of resources there! And the last on the planet are the BRIC countries Brazil, Russia, India, China. they are the masters of the planet America died. The Anglo-Saxons are also in the same place as America in full [-----] so we don’t need a maid
07/09/2009 01:30, Ressik
Try typing on your knees in a moving car!
16.10.2009 13:07, Guest
16.10.2009 13:08, Guest
Firstly, why burn the entire territory of Russia with all its food resources?
Secondly, one should not think that heads of state can launch missiles into Russia like this for no reason. Before such a large-scale war, there must be at least several months of negotiations, discussions on television and in newspapers of everything that is happening.
Even if a nuclear war happens... the theory of nuclear winter has not been tested and all the warheads in the world will not be enough to cover the atmosphere with a layer of dust. And even if there is enough by that time, this dust will not hover in the clouds for “20 years” but will soon settle.
About all of our beloved matants... nonsense from radiation they die, and do not become four-legged jocks....
And if a nuclear war passes, then the survivors will not have to fight off crowds of monsters and zombies for several years, and after a few days they will be surprised to see enemy paratroopers and their planes in the air. Enemy troops will attack and soon seize power. And you and I will live in another country with different orders. This will be the so-called “last war”...
03/18/2010 00:32, Maxim
The idea of a private bunker is not new, but I didn’t know who actually fulfills such orders in Russia. I called SpetsGeoProekt (this is the one that www.vipbunker.ru) - the guys are on topic, they explained everything very well. Price tags start from 3 million with the project together and all the equipment (2 ventilation modes for 2 weeks of autonomy). If you add more, you can put RP. In general, it’s a concrete submarine. Then, however, you will still have to surface. But they say that in 2 weeks the main rubbish disintegrates (the main thing is not to eat anything on the street or drink). Then we put on a suit and go out!
03/21/2010 03:39, SkyGuard
Yes, yes, I read about this topic, but not everyone has enough money for shelters like this, I’ll be saving myself in the cellar XD, it’s concrete and it has a double iron and aluminum lid at the bottom, and I’ll have enough food with compote, XD I’ll get there I won’t have time to get to it, although it’s almost near my entrance, but seriously, what’s the point of building it?? anyway, then you won’t want to live in the crap that’s left of this world, I wouldn’t really want to....and you??
WITH A SINGLE SHOT IT IS RUSSIA IS NOW VERY WEAKENED
THE NUCLEAR BUTTON SIMPLY WILL NOT WORK AND THEY WILL NOT SHOOT AT RUSSIA FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONS SINCE ITS RESERVES AND TERRETORY ARE THE TIDEST PIECE
BUT I LIKE THE FACT THAT A NUCLEAR CONFLICT COULD HAPPEN BETWEEN CHINA
AND AMERICA SO THAT RUSSIA CAN REMAIN WITHOUT EQUALS (THE SUPERIOR
03.01.2011 15:59, Konstantin Tokmakov
Nuclear winter is, of course, a myth, but no one is stopping them from dropping a 20-megaton thermonuclear warhead on Moscow. We have not had such a strong missile defense system for a long time to defend ourselves, especially if at the most important purposes launch several warheads at once.
Further. I am sure that the exact location of, if not all, then most of the nuclear missiles in Russia is known to the US intelligence services. The first blow will be made against them, as well as against military bases for other purposes. And in just a few minutes, thermonuclear missiles will begin to fall on Russia, which has been practically cleared of air defense and missile defense systems, aimed at large cities and industrial centers...
Result: The European part of Russia is completely destroyed (with the possible exception of part of the northern coast). In Siberia and the Urals, all large cities were destroyed; in the Urals, up to 90% of the population of small towns and villages also died. The situation will be better to the east - up to 2/3 of the non-urban population has a chance to survive there (however, it is worth considering that in Siberia most of the population lives in relatively major cities). In general, up to 15-20 million people will survive in Russia.
And at the same time, it is worth considering that we still have a chance to deliver a retaliatory nuclear strike. But the United States does not have such a vast territory, and it will suffer more damage, despite its superiority in nuclear weapons. In addition, about a third of the US population lives in a seismic zone (the West Coast, the Rocky Mountains and the center of the country), and multiple nuclear and thermonuclear explosions will cause numerous movements of the earth's crust, many volcanoes will awaken (including the famous Yellowstone supervolcano), so they We will still arrange a small local “volcanic-nuclear winter”. Well, of course, it’s worth considering a large number of nuclear power plants located on their territory - missiles will probably also be launched at them, and the result will be much cooler than Chernobyl.
Well, it’s worth considering that China will not stand aside either. However, I won’t list further consequences - you can figure it out for yourself.
07/12/2011 10:55, Gergard
It’s a pity that after a nuclear war there won’t be, like in Fall, mutants, n-weapons, organizations....((((but in general this is a bad thing, 95% percent of the earth’s flora and fauna will die or degenerate (if there is a worldwide nuclear war) So that it is better to write on this topic, play, think, and not live with it with the knowledge that it is nearby....
War has become absolutely real. Scientists have studied in detail the possible consequences of more powerful explosions: how radiation will spread, what biological damage there will be, and climatic effects.
Nuclear war - how it happens
A nuclear explosion is a huge fireball that completely burns or chars living and inanimate nature even at a great distance from the epicenter. A third of the explosion's energy is released as a pulse of light that is thousands of times brighter than the sun. This causes all flammable materials such as paper and fabric to catch fire. People get third degree burns.
Primary fires do not have time to flare up - they are partially extinguished by a powerful air blast wave. But with flying sparks and burning debris, short circuits, explosions of household gas, burning petroleum products, long and extensive secondary fires are formed.
Many separate fires combine into a deadly fire that can destroy any metropolis. Similar fire tornadoes destroyed Hamburg and Dresden during World War II.
In the center of such a tornado, intense heat is released, due to which huge masses of air rise upward, and hurricanes are formed at the surface of the earth, which support the fiery element with new portions of oxygen. Smoke, dust and soot rise to the stratosphere, forming a cloud that almost completely blocks out the sunlight. As a result, the deadly nuclear winter.
Nuclear war leads to long nuclear winter
Due to giant fires, a huge amount of aerosol will be released into the atmosphere, which will cause a “nuclear night”. According to calculations, even a small local nuclear war and the explosions of London and New York will lead to a complete absence of sunlight above for several weeks.
For the first time, Paul Crutzen, a prominent German scientist, pointed out the devastating consequences of massive fires, which will provoke a further cascade of irreversible changes in the climate and biosphere.
The fact that nuclear war inevitably leads to nuclear winter was not yet known in the middle of the last century. Tests with nuclear explosions were carried out single and isolated. And even a “soft” nuclear conflict involves explosions in many cities. In addition, the tests were carried out in such a way that no large fires were caused. And only not so long ago, when working together specialists biologists, mathematicians, climatologists, physicists managed to put together a general picture of the consequences nuclear conflict together. explored in detail what the world might look like after a nuclear war.
If only 1% of the nuclear weapons produced to date are used in the conflict, the effect will be equal to 8200 “Nagasaki and Hiroshima”.
Even in this case, a nuclear war will entail the climatic effect of a nuclear winter. Due to the fact that the sun's rays will not be able to reach the Earth, there will be a prolonged cooling of the air. All living nature that does not die in fires will be doomed to freeze out.
Significant temperature contrasts will arise between land and ocean, since large accumulations of water have significant thermal inertia, so the air there will cool much more slowly. Changes in the atmosphere will suppress and severe droughts will begin on the continents, immersed in the night and shackled by absolute cold.
If a nuclear war occurred in the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, then within two weeks the temperature there would drop below zero, and sunlight would disappear completely. In this case, all vegetation in the Northern Hemisphere would die completely, and in the Southern Hemisphere - partially. The tropics and subtropics would die out almost instantly, since the flora there can exist in a very narrow temperature range and a certain light level.
Lack of food will lead to birds having virtually no chance of survival. Only reptiles can survive.
Dead forests that form on vast territories, will become material for new fires, and the decomposition of dead flora and fauna will cause the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Thus, it will be broken global content and carbon metabolism. The loss of vegetation will cause global soil erosion.
There will be an almost complete destruction of the ecosystems that currently exist on the planet. All agricultural plants and animals will die, although seeds may survive. A sharp increase in ionizing radiation will cause severe radiation sickness and lead to the death of vegetation, mammals and birds.
Emissions of nitrogen and sulfur oxides into the atmosphere will cause harmful acid rain.
Any one of the above factors would be enough to destroy many ecosystems. The worst thing is that after a nuclear war they will all begin to act together, feeding and strengthening each other’s action.
To pass the critical point, after which catastrophic changes in the climate and biosphere of the Earth begin, a relatively small nuclear explosion - 100 Mt - will be enough. To cause an irreparable disaster, it will be enough to activate just 1% of the existing arsenal of nuclear weapons.
Even those countries on whose territory not a single nuclear bomb will explode will be completely destroyed.
Nuclear war in any form represents a real threat to the existence of humanity and life on the planet in general.
How to survive after a nuclear warNuclear war is not a scenario that most people want to survive. In the sixties, the Cuban Missile Crisis pushed us to the dangerous edge, but humanity has yet to experience an event that would lead to its potential extinction.
Nuclear winter is itself a theoretical proposition; Scientists believe that in the event of a nuclear war, huge amounts of soot would be released into the stratosphere and spread by winds across the planet, blocking the sun and causing temperatures to plummet. The plants will wither and die, then the animals will follow. The collapse of the food chain will lead to the extinction of the human race.
A nuclear winter could last for years or even decades, and while it lasts, the people who survived the nuclear war will not be able to restore civilization. The only way to ensure the survival of the human race is to follow tips for surviving a nuclear winter.
10. Live in rural areas
This may sound like unhelpful advice, but the question of who survives the first nuclear explosions will be decided by little more than geography. Estimates made in the 1960s indicated that Russia was launching a devastating attack on the United States in which 100-150 million people would be killed in the initial blasts—more than two-thirds of the population at that time. Large cities will be completely inaccessible as a result of the explosion and the radiation that will accompany the explosions. In general, if you live in a city, you are almost certainly doomed, but if you live in a rural area, you have a moderate chance of survival.
9. Abandon religious beliefs
This advice (and image) may be somewhat controversial, but there are many good reasons why religious beliefs might hinder the efforts of survivors of a potential nuclear war. First of all, going to church on Sunday is not the number one priority after a nuclear disaster. But seriously: in order to survive, you may have to perform actions that are unthinkable for many religious (or simply highly moral) people (see No. 8). The survivors' mindset must be decidedly "Machiavellian": the whole world is open to us; questions of morality are secondary to the question of survival at any cost.
If your religion prohibits you from eating certain foods, you should give up such dietary obligations and eat what you can find. Perhaps the realization that God (or any other deity) could have prevented the collapse of civilization, if he/she really exists, will help you abandon your faith.
8. Kill/Release pets
So, you survived the initial explosion, and now you are an atheist living in the village. What's next? Let's think about your pets. Pets need food, water and care - and don't love them too much during a nuclear winter. You won't live long if you share every morsel of food with Rex.
For those heartless people who may be thinking of killing and eating their pet(s), please note that food will be extremely scarce. Most people (I hope) find these thoughts disgusting and will simply let their beloved animal go wildlife. But I say this in all seriousness: nuclear winter survivors, give up all hope of saving your goldfish. Small animals can simply be destroyed without even trying to eat them - this will at least save them from hunger in the future.
7. Take cover
Science Minute: In the event of several nuclear explosions in major cities, huge amounts of soot and thick smoke from the fires will rise into the stratosphere, preventing sunlight from reaching the planet. most surface of the Earth for many years or even decades.
The surface temperature will decrease sharply, and near-zero values will remain indefinitely. In other words, the need for warm clothing cannot be ignored - so you can start packing your insulating clothes if you are not already doing so. Unfortunately, constant freezing is not the end of your worries; scientists suggest that massive destruction of the ozone layer will occur, that is, a huge amount of ultraviolet radiation, which leads to death from skin cancer. You can reduce this impact by avoiding sleeping in open spaces, and always wear some kind of hat to protect your face from the cold and harmful UV rays.
6. Arm yourself
If you live in a country where guns are readily available and legal, it won't be too difficult for you to arm yourself against robbers or potential cannibals. Desperate conditions may cause many survivors to steal food from other survivors in order to stave off starvation. Looting a local store with a pistol is a perfectly viable option for those in America (or any other country without significant gun control) - but care must be taken to ensure the gun isn't pulled by the store owner. Otherwise, you may want to keep a knife for protection. For several months after the initial explosions, hunting will still be possible as the animals are not yet extinct. If possible, stock up on meat early on.
5. Learn to recognize cannibals
When all the big meaty animals go extinct after a nuclear war, it will become inevitable that humans will resort to cannibalism to survive. In fact, you might consider cannibalism for yourself at some point when you're starving and find a useful corpse in your area.
As for the other survivors: they will either try to help you or try to eat you, of course, it is important to distinguish between these two reasons. People who eat human flesh tend to suffer from Kuru symptoms; brain pollution, which leads to very noticeable consequences. For example, if a person is walking towards you swaying from side to side and struggling to walk in a straight line, then it is better to run away as he is either drunk or has symptoms of Kuru. Other symptoms include uncontrollable shaking and violent bursts of laughter in inappropriate situations. Kuru is an incurable disease and death usually occurs within a year of infection, so don't eat human flesh - nuclear winter or not!
4. Travel alone
Introverts will thrive in a post-apocalyptic environment, at least compared to those who are instinctively drawn to cell phones, finding yourself alone. Having a family - especially if it includes children - is not a smart move given the food shortages. Ignore the "outlaw" or "raider" gang clichés that Hollywood feeds us in films like "The Road" and "The Book of Eli." In reality, such groups will never be able to find enough food to support themselves in the long term. This doesn't mean you should abandon (or eat) your family. Simply finding a large group is not a good option for those who want to avoid starvation.
3. Eat insects
The sharp reduction in sunlight and precipitation during a nuclear winter will make growth impossible and kill off most plant life on Earth, many animals in turn quickly dying out from lack of food. For this reason, small insects such as ants, crickets, wasps, grasshoppers and beetles are some of the creatures that are likely to survive in the long term. They will also be fantastic sources of protein to support muscle mass: Grasshoppers have the highest percentage of protein: 20g for every 100g of weight. Crickets are rich in iron and zinc, and ants are excellent sources of calcium. Of course, insects are not as tasty as a bucket of fried chicken (though you don't know for sure), but at least they are preferable to starvation.
2. Clean up trash
This may not be the most pleasant activity in a post-apocalyptic time. Who wouldn't want to be able to wander around shopping center, stealing any desired item without experiencing legal retribution? Don't get too excited, though: robberies cash registers will become a pointless exercise with the collapse of civilization. Instead, it's better to focus on hacking food and drink vending machines. If you're hungry, try emptying trash cans for scraps or looking for canned goods that have an indefinite shelf life. It's also fairly easy to find clothing to keep you warm, and if your country doesn't have gun control, you can find guns to protect yourself.
1. Avoid the contaminated area
The photo above shows the ghost town of Pripyat, the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986. Due to massive radioactive contamination caused by an explosion at a nuclear power plant, the city was evacuated. The disaster caused 31 immediate deaths from radiation poisoning and several hundred more from various types cancer later. Today the city is uninhabitable. Radiation levels are too high to safely support life. After a nuclear disaster, radiation levels are likely to be significantly higher. Anyone inside large cities that will be bombed will quickly receive a dose of radioactive poisoning and will soon die.
The mid-70s became something of a turning point for the people of Earth, when many finally began to understand all the likely consequences of an interstate exchange of nuclear strikes, which could exceed all the worst forecasts.
For modern world nuclear war is the most likely factor in a man-made disaster, with the subsequent destruction of all living nature. A decrease in temperature, ionizing radiation, a decrease in precipitation, the release of various toxic substances into the atmosphere, as well as an increase in exposure to UV radiation - the simultaneous impact of all these factors will lead to irreversible disruption of life communities and the inability to regenerate over a long period of time.Scientists foresee three possible effects of a global conflict involving nuclear weapons. Firstly, as a result of a worldwide decrease in temperature by tens of degrees, as well as a decrease in illumination of the planet, the so-called nuclear winter and nuclear night will occur. Everything is vital important processes on Earth will be cut off from the main source of energy - the sun. Secondly, due to the destruction of radiation waste storage facilities and nuclear power plants, the entire world territory will be polluted. The third factor is hunger on a planetary scale. Thus, a nuclear war will lead to a reduction in agricultural crops.
The nature of the impact of a nuclear war on a universal scale on the world such that, whenever it occurs, the result is the same - a global biological catastrophe, one might say the end of the world.
The mid-70s became something of a turning point for the people of Earth, when many finally began to understand all the likely consequences of an interstate exchange of nuclear strikes, which could exceed all the worst forecasts. However, despite this, all the attention of scientists was focused on the study of direct damaging ground factors, the influence of nuclear air explosions; in fact, they studied thermal radiation, shock waves and radioactive fallout. Moreover, scientists began to take into account global environmental problems.
If a nuclear war breaks out on the planet, resulting in explosions nuclear bombs, this will lead to thermal radiation, as well as local radioactive fallout. Indirect consequences, such as the destruction of power distribution systems, communications systems and social fabrics, are likely to lead to serious problems. As long as there is a possibility that a nuclear war will occur, the catastrophic impact of such a tragedy on the biological sphere must never be left to chance, because the consequences may not be predictable.
The impact of nuclear war on freshwater ecosystems.
Probable climate change will make the ecosystem of continental water bodies vulnerable.
Reservoirs that contain fresh water are divided into two types: flowing (streams and rivers) and standing (lakes and ponds). A sharp drop in temperature and a decrease in precipitation will affect the rapid reduction in the number fresh water, which is stored in lakes and rivers. On groundwater changes will affect less noticeably and more slowly.
The qualities of lakes are determined by their content nutrients, underlying rocks, sizes, bottom substrates, amount of precipitation and other parameters. The main indicators of the response of freshwater systems to climate change are the likely decrease in temperature and decrease in insolation. The equalization of temperature fluctuations is predominantly expressed in large bodies of water with fresh water. However, freshwater ecosystems, unlike the ocean, are forced to suffer significantly from temperature changes as a result of a nuclear war.
Probability of influence low temperatures over a long period can lead to the formation of a thick layer of ice on the surface of water bodies. As a result, the surface of the shallow lake will be covered with a significant layer of ice, covering most of its territory.
For recent years Russian specialists gradually accumulated statistical data on lakes, which included information on the area and volume of reservoirs. It should be noted that most of the lakes that are known and accessible to humans are rated as small. Such reservoirs are located in a group that will be subject to freezing to almost its entire depth.
The research conducted by Ponomarev together with his collaborators, within the framework of the Skope-Enuuor project, is considered one of the main directions in assessing the consequences of nuclear war on lake ecosystems. This study used a simulation model of the relationship between lakes and their watersheds, as well as the impact of industry on the state of lakes, developed by the Research Center for Computational Technologies of St. Petersburg at the Academy of Sciences. The study examined three biotic components – zooplankton, phytoplankton and detritus. They directly interact with phosphorus, nitrogen, insolation, air temperature and radiation. According to various sources, the alleged nuclear war began either in July or in February.
A nuclear war will have longer-term and more serious consequences due to changes in climate conditions. During this development, light and temperature will return to their original levels as winter approaches.
If a nuclear war occurs in winter and causes climate disturbances during this period, in places where lake water has normal temperature, approximately zero, this will entail an increase in ice cover.
The threat to shallow lakes is too obvious, since water may freeze to the very bottom, which will lead to the death of the majority of living microorganisms. Thus, real climate disturbances in winter period will affect freshwater ecosystems that do not freeze under normal conditions, and will lead to very serious biological consequences. Current climate disruptions, either starting in the spring or delayed as a result of nuclear war, could delay the melting of the ice.
With the arrival of frosts at the end of the spring period, there may be a global death of living components of ecosystems under the influence of lower temperatures and reduced light levels. If the temperature drops to below zero in the summer, the consequences may not be so disastrous, because many stages of development life cycles will be behind. The severity of the consequences will depend on the duration of the cold weather. Next spring, the duration of the impact will be especially acute.
Climate disturbances in the fall will lead to the least consequences for the ecosystem of northern water bodies, because at that time all living organisms will have time to go through the stages of reproduction. Even if the numbers of phytoplankton, invertebrates and decomposers are reduced to minimal levels, it is not the end of the world once the climate returns to normal state, they will be reborn. But all the same, residual phenomena can manifest themselves for a long time on the functioning of the entire ecosystem, and irreversible changes are quite likely.
Consequences of nuclear war
The likely consequences of nuclear war for living organisms and environment remained at the epicenter of attention of many researchers for 40 years after Japan was exposed to atomic weapons.
As a result of analyzing data on the susceptibility of ecosystems to the consequences that a nuclear war would have on the ecological environment, the following conclusions become obvious:
The planet's ecosystems are vulnerable to extreme climate disturbances. However, not in the same way, but depending on their geographical location, type of system and time of year in which disturbances will occur.
As a result of the synergism of causes and the spread of their impact from one ecosystem to another, shifts occur that are much larger than could be predicted with the individual action of disturbances. In the case when atmospheric pollution, radiation and an increase in hydrocarbon radiation act separately, they do not lead to large-scale catastrophic consequences. But if these factors occur simultaneously, the result can be disastrous for sensitive ecosystems due to their synergy, which is comparable to the end of the world for living organisms.
If a nuclear war occurs, fires that arise as a result of the exchange atomic bombs, can occupy a significant part of the territory.
The revival of ecosystems after the impact of acute climate disasters, following a nuclear war of enormous scale, will depend on the level of adaptability to natural disturbances. In some types of ecosystems, the initial damage can be quite large, and the restoration can be slow, and absolute restoration to the original untouched state is generally impossible.
Episodic radioactive fallout can have an important impact on ecosystems.
Significant changes in temperature can cause very great damage, even if they last for a long time. short period time.
The ecosystem of the seas is quite vulnerable to a long-term decrease in illumination.
To describe reactions of a biological nature to stress on a planetary scale, it is necessary to develop the next generation of ecosystem models and create a capacious database on their individual components and all ecosystems in general, subject to various experimental disturbances. Much time has passed since important attempts were made to experimentally describe the effects of nuclear war and its effects on biological circuitry. Today, this problem is one of the most important that have encountered on the path of human existence.
1. Anyone within a radius of 800 m from the source of the explosion is killed instantly with a 90% chance, and within a radius of 3,200 m - with a 50% chance. Radiation spreads very quickly: if you are within a radius of 8,000 m, you have about 10-15 minutes to find shelter. So run. Notice which way the wind is blowing and stay opposite direction. Try not to look into the area of the explosion source - you risk going blind. It is advisable not to close your mouth, because the sounds accompanying a nuclear strike are likely to rupture your eardrums.
2. If you are within 8,000 m of the explosion, but realize there is no time to run, your salvation is refuge. The best option is to get inside the basement of a high-rise building or a room without windows. If you cannot get into the basement, climb above the 10th floor into the most isolated room. But keep in mind that the metro option is the highest priority, because it is suitable for long-term shelter.
3. If you are tens of kilometers from the outbreak nuclear attack, your main concern is radioactive fallout, which can last for weeks. Even if you live 100-150 km from the explosion site, pay attention to the news about where this flow is predominantly directed. You'll probably still have to seek shelter underground.
4.The most likely targets for a nuclear attack are government buildings, military bases, large retail outlets, power plants and ports. If you are lucky enough to receive a text message about an impending strike, it is best to move away from such areas. Try to avoid and major highways. When a disaster occurs, the highways tend to become jammed and filled with people desperate to get out of the city.
5. Please note that traces of radioactive fallout will certainly remain on your clothes and skin. Therefore, another important task is get rid of clothes and wash yourself, if possible. It is recommended to wrap clothing in a plastic bag and place it as far as possible from people and animals. If you have the opportunity to take a shower, do not use any washcloths or scrubs. Use as much soap and shampoo as possible. After a shower, we further advise you to avoid contact with water: radiation will gradually begin to seep into groundwater.
6. Unfortunately, there is no way to know in advance how long you will have to stay in a shelter. Experts estimate that it could take several days to several weeks before radiation levels drop sufficiently. Listen to the radio wait for information on the Internet: You will be informed at what point going outside will be possible and will not lead to death.
7. In many post-apocalyptic films, we see heroes raiding grocery stores. In reality from You should avoid this practice: Food, like water, will be exposed to radiation. By the way, the temptation to pocket non-food items is no less fraught.
8. Prepare your home. Supplies should be kept in the house in case of any disaster: first aid kit, bottled water, flashlights. Stock up on foods that are not perishable: canned food, cereals, pasta, etc. Keep potassium iodide on hand to purify water.
9. If you live in a city, Find out where local air raid shelters are. Calculate how long it will take you to get to this point. Information about shelter locations can be found on the Internet. We advise you to take a closer look at the buildings nearby, so that in the event of a real threat you do not get confused and immediately develop an action plan.
