TRANSMISSION BY THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE OF THERMAL ENERGY FROM NUCLEAR DETONATIONS ABOVE 50-KM ALTITUDE
Abstract
The extensive literature on transmission of solar energy by the earth's atmosphere supports transmission estimates for the average clear day at sea level ranging from around 80% for vertical rays to around 15% for rays 5 degrees above horizontal. On the basis of 100% for a clear day, cloud transmission varies from around 30%, for light cloud, to around 3%, for a dense cloud. Transmission factors can be computed when the following more important atmospheric parameters are known: (1) thickness, liquid content, and droplet size of clouds; (2) size and volume concentration of solid haze particles; and (3) reflectivity of the earth's surface. Theoretically estimated upper limits to the unattenuated energy flux from a 1000-mt detonation (taken from a companion study to the present one), combined with the above estimates of atmospheric transmission, give ignition radii ranging from 250 km at 50-km burst height to 0 km at 240-km burst height for the average clear day at sea level. A conscious attempt has been made in this study to give upper limits to both transmission factors and energy fluxes. Thus, in real world situations, the ground effects are expected to be substantially less extensive and less intensive than these estimates would indicate.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0404590
Entities
People
- Thomas O. Passell
Organizations
- SRI International