Radiation effects - Nuclear explosion

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Water is a GREAT radiation shield I think.

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True, probably the best for neutron radiation since it's roughly the same size as the hydrogen atom in water. Neutron radiation is ionizing radiation, and therefore the most likely to hurt you. Alpha particle is the worst for you, but your dead layer of skin will stop it. Ingesting it is super bad. Gamma radiation is the other type, and water isn't that good at stopping it, you need a heavy metal. The good thing about water not stopping it is that our body is mostly water, so it generally just passes right through us.

5000 ft of water is a helluva shield. It may kill some fish, but it won't make mutant fish. We studied bomb effects pretty good after Nagasaki.

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you need a heavy metal

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The nuke wouldn't be exploded on the sea floor. but more than 10,000 feet below.

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By drilling another well I suppose?

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However....wouldn't that cause a serious Tsunami?? only 48 miles away from the coast, i'd hate to see another Thailand incident.

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I am assuming this would be much smaller tactical nuke than you common warhead.

shouda have listened to the russian from day one and nuked it

Good luck finding a neuron bomb that will fit down a 10000 ft cased hole without having it specially made. The bomb would have to be pressure proofed for use this deep. Not something u just pickup at walmart.
I realize it is agonizing to just wait around for the relief well but that is the only viable option now.

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The nuke wouldn't be exploded on the sea floor. but more than 10,000 feet below

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I don't buy this. At ALL.

An underground exposion, especially one that deep, could possible cause more harm than good with regard to stopping the flow.

I can see a detonation around 200 meters above the hole doing good though.

As for radiation, the concern isn't the immediate burst of radiation, it is the release of radioactive materials produced by the burst. The concern for this was so great, that the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were air bursts so that ground materials were not sucked into the maw of the radioactive reactions thus worsening the contaimination.

Of the main components of seawater, only sodium is a concern for induced radioactivity, and even then, with a fairly short half life it will dissipate rapidly. The cost of that is the fact it is highly radioactive during that time.

The main concern will probably be unfissioned fuel from the bomb itself getting free. For all human intents and purposes, that radiation will remain forever and might spread vastly via ocean currents.


But of course, this is just talking about practical impact. You detonate a nuke out there, even one underground, and no one will want to ever touch Gulf seafood for a very, very, very long time. Even if there is no concern for contaimination.

quote:

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I don't buy this. At ALL.

An underground exposion, especially one that deep, could possible cause more harm than good with regard to stopping the flow.

I can see a detonation around 200 meters above the hole doing good though.

As for radiation, the concern isn't the immediate burst of radiation, it is the release of radioactive materials produced by the burst. The concern for this was so great, that the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were air bursts so that ground materials were not sucked into the maw of the radioactive reactions thus worsening the contaimination.

Of the main components of seawater, only sodium is a concern for induced radioactivity, and even then, with a fairly short half life it will dissipate rapidly. The cost of that is the fact it is highly radioactive during that time.

The main concern will probably be unfissioned fuel from the bomb itself getting free. For all human intents and purposes, that radiation will remain forever.


But of course, this is just talking about practical impact. You detonate a nuke out there, even one underground, and no one will want to ever touch Gulf seafood for a very, very, very long time. Even if there is no concern for contaimination.

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Good point.

What if the explosion causes an earthquake and South Louisiana slides into the ocean b/c of the looseness of the ground there?