While there is so much chatter about nukes, can someone explain this about weapons testing?

[TonyThreePies]

Sorry for the post when so many are feeling so anxious. My question is about the fallout from weapons testing. When nuclear weapons are so destructive and have been tested (ok, I know in remote locations but still) why has there not been nuclear winter - or at least not that I am aware of. And what about the horrible accidents such as Chernobyl and Fukushima? I know there has been immediate danger meaning evacuations and there are restricted zones.

I hope I have explained my question well enough, I am autistic and struggle to make myself understood sometimes!

I thought they were mostly tested underground?

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me will be along to give a better answer.

The 'nuclear winter' effect would be caused by so much dust and soot being in the air that the sunlight's blocked out from Earth, causing it to cool.

There'll also be radioactivity but that's a completely different thing - nothing to do with nuclear winter. So Chernobyl and Fukushima, no huge firestorms and no clouds of dust thrown up and the main problem was radioactivity.

Tests have generally (I think) been carried out in desserts or at sea - so no huge firestorms from burning cities and forests. In fact I think most tests have been carried out underground or underwater.

The main thing though is that there aren't hundreds of tests. The nuclear winter theory is based on hundreds, or thousands, of nuclear explosions burning cities all over the world, all at the same time.

Don't worry yourself sick over it.

Deserts, not desserts. It's late.

Yes, thanks. I've heard that some are underground - although I have no idea how this works either. But not all of them. My ex-FIL was in the military many years ago and was present for some testing on islands. But he's not around anymore so I can't ask him.

@FatFredsFriedEgg

The 'nuclear winter' effect would be caused by so much dust and soot being in the air that the sunlight's blocked out from Earth, causing it to cool.

There'll also be radioactivity but that's a completely different thing - nothing to do with nuclear winter. So Chernobyl and Fukushima, no huge firestorms and no clouds of dust thrown up and the main problem was radioactivity.

Tests have generally (I think) been carried out in desserts or at sea - so no huge firestorms from burning cities and forests. In fact I think most tests have been carried out underground or underwater.

The main thing though is that there aren't hundreds of tests. The nuclear winter theory is based on hundreds, or thousands, of nuclear explosions burning cities all over the world, all at the same time.

Don't worry yourself sick over it.

Thank you for the response Fred, that makes a lot of sense and I understand what you are saying.

@TonyThreePies

Yes, thanks. I've heard that some are underground - although I have no idea how this works either. But not all of them. My ex-FIL was in the military many years ago and was present for some testing on islands. But he's not around anymore so I can't ask him.

I believe you're thinking of the Bikini Atoll tests. That was over 60 years ago, it doesn't happen now.

There have been test sites around the world but the residual fall out is fairly localised.

The old Soviet Union in particular did lots of research into nuclear weapons and there are areas of significant radioactive contamination.

Eg Semipalatinsk

Mayak production facility

Sorry should clarify that the vast majority of the residual fallout is localised to the original test sites.

Some has spread around the world through air and water and in theory is detectable in tiny amounts pretty much anywhere. But our radiation exposure due to nuclear weapons fall out is much smaller than that from natural background radiation.

Nuclear winter refers to bringing in a full blown ice age due to full on nuclear war...so hundreds of nukes detonated within a few hours all around the world. A bomb now and then in remote areas or underground for testing isn’t enough. They also don’t field test the full size big ones. Although they might in outer space on an asteroid if they got the defence budget for it.