A new study has discovered the best places to be during a nuclear attack.
Being caught in a nuclear explosion is one of the worst possible fates anyone can imagine. The radiation poses a significant health risk even at a distance since anything too close to it rapidly vaporizes.
Away from “ground zero,” the blast wave produced by the explosion, which can create airspeeds powerful enough to carry people into the air and cause catastrophic injury, is another threat in between.
For this reason, the only real safe place to be during a nuclear explosion is as far away from the blast site as possible. But, for most, this would only ever be a pipedream.
Time and options are usually short when the sirens go off.
Conventional thinking is that taking shelter underground or in a reinforced building might be your best bet for survival. But is this true? We need actually to carry out extensive testing to guess.
Little comfort for people should the unthinkable happen. But, researchers from the University of Nicosia may have provided the first technical study testing whether this conventional thinking has any validity.
In a new study published in Physics of Fluids, the team simulated an atomic bomb explosion from a conventional intercontinental ballistic missile and the subsequent blast wave to investigate how it might affect those taking cover within an underground bunker.
Being underground or in a strong structure on the surface, might not save your afterall
On the surface, the blast wave can topple structures and injure anyone outside in the moderate damage zone. However, they found that stronger structures, like concrete ones, can withstand the impact and survive.
The scientists studied how a nuclear bomb wave travels through a standing structure using sophisticated computer modeling. They were able to compute the speed of the air following the blast wave and identify the best and worst places to be, thanks to their simulated structure, which included rooms, windows, doorways, and hallways.
“Before our study, the danger to people inside a concrete-reinforced building that withstands the blastwave was unclear,” said author Dimitris Drikakis. “Our study shows that high airspeeds remain a considerable hazard and can still result in severe injuries or even fatalities.”
Their findings suggest that merely being in a robust structure is insufficient to eliminate risk. The small areas have the potential to boost airspeed, and the blast wave’s involvement causes air to reflect off walls and curve around corners.
In the worst circumstances, this can generate a force that is 18 times greater than the weight of an adult human.
“The most dangerous critical indoor locations to avoid are the windows, the corridors, and the doors,” said author Ioannis Kokkinakis. “People should stay away from these locations and immediately take shelter. Even in the front room facing the explosion, one can be safe from the high airspeeds if positioned at the corners of the wall facing the blast.”
Contours of the maximum airspeed attained during the first 10 seconds after the blast wave enters the window; overpressure of 5 psi. Credit: I. Kokkinakis and D. Drikakis, University of Nicosia, Cyprus
The authors emphasize the importance of moving swiftly to a safe location because there is just a brief window between the explosion and the arrival of the blast wave.
“Additionally, there will be increased radiation levels, unsafe buildings, damaged power and gas lines, and fires,” said Drikakis. “People should be concerned about all the above and seek immediate emergency assistance.”
The authors contend that knowing the impacts of a nuclear explosion can prevent injuries and direct rescue operations, while they hope their advice will never be required.
Source: Interesting Engineering
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A new study has discovered the best places to be during a nuclear attack.