Scientists from Rutgers University, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and other American scientific organizations predicted long-term climate change on Earth in the event of the use of nuclear weapons. The results are published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.
The authors of the study used a modern climate model of aerosols and nitric oxide emissions to uncover the effects of nuclear war on ozone and the amount of ultraviolet light reaching the surface. Scientists have modeled the consequences of both local and global conflicts using this type of weapon.
It turned out that the use of an atomic bomb can permanently destroy the ozone layer on the planet, which will lead to the strongest ultraviolet radiation. This will seriously affect human health and damage food.
Scientists examined the scenario of a hypothetical regional Indo-Pakistani nuclear war and a large-scale conflict between Russia and the United States. In the first case, five megatons of soot will enter the atmosphere, and the intensity of ultraviolet radiation will increase during the year. The ozone layer will shrink by a quarter and recover only after 12 years. The war between Russia and the United States will lead to emissions of 150 megatons of soot, and the intensity of ultraviolet radiation will increase in eight years. The ozone layer will be reduced by 75% and will last for 15 years.
According to the authors of the study, the results indicate that nuclear war poses a much greater threat than previously thought.
