ABSTRACT
The atmospheric phenomenon of the spreading, persisting clouds of smoke and dust that could follow a nuclear exchange became known as a “nuclear winter.” The quantities of smoke particles produced would be governed by the extent, intensity, and duration of the fires, by the materials fueling them, and by prevailing weather conditions. Coastal areas could be subjected to severe stormy weather resulting from the large differences in temperature between the oceans and the continents. Agricultural ecosystems are inherently unstable and require constant management to be productive, even under normal climatic conditions. The immediate impacts of a nuclear exchange on ecosystems near target areas would be cataclysmic: blast and the thermal pulse would kill most green plants, including trees, and ignite fires within 2 to 12 km of ground zero. By very clever planning, environmental rehabilitation could aim to modify the new weather patterns over time.
