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the tests in the marshal islands gave reason to believe that the damage is irreversable but after 50 years the coral reefs are beguining to revive again.

Overall though it depends on the half-life of the fission-materials being used to produce the detonation of the bomb, the primary isotope which is usually used in the production of Nuclear-Weapons (From what I read) is Plutonium-239 which has a half-life of 24,000 years. So they can probably linger as long as any radiation from a Nuclear-Power-Plant meltdown!!!

It takes very little Plutonium or Uranium to make a nuclear weapon and a significant fraction of this is consumed in the detonation. Both Plutonium and Uranium, though they have long half-lives present minor radiation hazards (except in the form of inhalable dust) as they are alpha emitters and can be completely shielded by one sheet of paper or the outer layer of dead cells making up your skin.

The worst radiation hazard is the fission products that emit gamma radiation. But their half-lives vary from 8 days to 40 years. They will all be effectively gone in about 200 years.

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12y ago
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6mo ago

The duration of lingering radiation after a nuclear explosion depends on factors such as the type of radioactive materials involved and the size of the explosion. Some radioactive materials decay quickly, leading to less lingering radiation, while others have longer half-lives. In general, it can range from days to years.

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Q: How long after a nuclear explosion will the radiation linger?
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What makes a nuclear explosion so deadly?

A nuclear explosion is deadly due to the intense heat and blast wave it generates, causing widespread destruction and casualties. Additionally, the release of harmful radiation can cause long-term health effects such as radiation sickness, cancer, and genetic mutations. The combination of these factors makes nuclear explosions exceptionally destructive and deadly.


What is the radiation of a nuclear bomb?

The radiation from a nuclear bomb includes gamma rays, neutrons, and residual radioactive fallout. Gamma rays are high-energy electromagnetic radiation, while neutrons are subatomic particles that can induce nuclear reactions in surrounding materials, releasing additional radiation. Fallout consists of radioactive particles and debris from the explosion that can spread over large areas, causing long-term contamination.


What is the worst affect of a nuclear explosion?

The worst effect of a nuclear explosion is the immediate and widespread destruction caused by the blast wave and intense heat. This can lead to high casualties, extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, and long-lasting environmental contamination from radioactive fallout.


How do nuclear weapon kill people?

Nuclear weapons kill through the intense heat, blast pressure, and radiation they produce. The initial explosion causes widespread destruction, while the radiation exposure can lead to acute and long-term health effects such as burns, radiation sickness, and cancer. The overall impact can be catastrophic for both immediate casualties and long-term survivors.


What radiation is given off by a nuclear bomb?

A nuclear bomb gives off various types of radiation, including gamma rays, neutron radiation, and beta particles. These forms of radiation are extremely harmful to living organisms and can cause severe damage to cells and tissues. Public exposure to this radiation can have long-lasting health effects.

Related questions

What makes a nuclear explosion so deadly?

A nuclear explosion is deadly due to the intense heat and blast wave it generates, causing widespread destruction and casualties. Additionally, the release of harmful radiation can cause long-term health effects such as radiation sickness, cancer, and genetic mutations. The combination of these factors makes nuclear explosions exceptionally destructive and deadly.


What is the radiation of a nuclear bomb?

The radiation from a nuclear bomb includes gamma rays, neutrons, and residual radioactive fallout. Gamma rays are high-energy electromagnetic radiation, while neutrons are subatomic particles that can induce nuclear reactions in surrounding materials, releasing additional radiation. Fallout consists of radioactive particles and debris from the explosion that can spread over large areas, causing long-term contamination.


What is the difference between a bomb and an nuclear bomb?

Basically, a conventional bomb uses a chemical explosive as the source of its destructive power. A nuclear weapon uses nuclear material to create an explosion. A nuclear explosion is much larger, and also emits ionizing radiation. A chemical weapon does not emit any radiation. A nuclear weapon's yield is measured in Kilotons (thousand tons). In very simplified terms, this means that a nuclear weapon with a 475 kiloton yield produces an explosion comparable to 475,000 tons of TNT (TNT is a chemical explosive). That's A LOT of TNT and it would take up a bit of space. A nuclear weapon with this yield may only be a few feet long and a foot wide, and the actual nuclear material may be the size of a grapefruit.


What is the worst affect of a nuclear explosion?

The worst effect of a nuclear explosion is the immediate and widespread destruction caused by the blast wave and intense heat. This can lead to high casualties, extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, and long-lasting environmental contamination from radioactive fallout.


How do nuclear weapon kill people?

Nuclear weapons kill through the intense heat, blast pressure, and radiation they produce. The initial explosion causes widespread destruction, while the radiation exposure can lead to acute and long-term health effects such as burns, radiation sickness, and cancer. The overall impact can be catastrophic for both immediate casualties and long-term survivors.


What radiation is given off by a nuclear bomb?

A nuclear bomb gives off various types of radiation, including gamma rays, neutron radiation, and beta particles. These forms of radiation are extremely harmful to living organisms and can cause severe damage to cells and tissues. Public exposure to this radiation can have long-lasting health effects.


Why used nuclear bombs at war time?

They're very destructive and last for a long time, In other words, once you've blown up a nuclear bomb somewhere, it will still be dangerous after the initial explosion has taken place. When a nuclear bomb is used there would be nuclear radiation that would still be present where the bomb hit for quite a while


Does a nuclear bomb have radiation in it?

Yes, a nuclear bomb produces radiation as a result of the nuclear fission or fusion reactions that release large amounts of energy. This radiation can have immediate and long-term harmful effects on living organisms and the environment.


What kills people in a nuclear explosion?

Most people are killed by the blast and heat as in conventional explosions. However the radioactivity adds both immediate and long term deaths (e.g. radiation poisoning, cancers). Radioactive fallout can produce deaths many hundreds of miles away from the explosion itself.


How can a nuclear bomb destroy life?

A nuclear bomb can destroy life through the immense heat, blast wave, and radiation it releases upon detonation. The heat can cause severe burns and ignite fires, the blast wave can level buildings and create widespread destruction, and the radiation can cause acute radiation sickness and long-term health effects. The combined effects can lead to mass casualties and long-lasting environmental consequences.


Causes the greatest damage in explosion?

Nuclear weapons cause the greatest damage in explosion. This will affect even the atmosphere for a very long period of time.


What is a nuclear explosion?

Nuclear explosion is a dangerous nuclear device that frees nuclear energy. A Nuclear explosion is a uncontrolled explosion that is a result of a collision of molecules that split apart the atom on the molecular level and emits electrons, protons and gamma radiation and causes a chain reaction as these particles collide with more atoms. This produces extreme temperature levels and shock waves. The gamma radition disappates away from the explosion and also is absorbed into the debris and smoke particles and this will travel with the wind to carry the radiation for many miles. This is called "fall out" as the particles will fall to earth and expose everything to deadly radiation levels. If the nuclear explsion is denoted under the ground on in Space the effects are different. In space, there is no atmosphere to transmit the heat and shock waves so most of the engery is dissapted in electrons and radiation. The protons/electrons will travel out and contact the earth's upper atmosphere over an area the size of the United States. The result of this collosion will be an electronic pulse that is transmitted to the earth. This Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) will travel to the surface of the earth and damage or disable most electronic devices that are not protected. This protection is similar to lightning protection but it has to be covering the device from all exposure. The EMP will also impinge on long unprotected wires and transmite an electrical spike down the wire and can damage whatever device is on the other end.