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From: alle@ihuxb.UUCP (Allen England)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Nuking Missiles <==> Nuclear Winter
Message-ID: <493@ihuxb.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Feb-84 08:05:31 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxb.493
Posted: Fri Feb 10 08:05:31 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Feb-84 06:43:12 EST
References: <403@burl.UUCP> <669@dciem.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 18

This is in reference to the question of "if the Russians nuked our
missiles they would effectively destroy themselves by causing the
Nuclear Winter to be triggered?"

My understanding of the Nuclear Winter idea is that the dust thrown
up by nuclear explosions is not the real culprit which triggers the
nuclear winter.  The latest studies are based on what would happen
if nuclear weapons are used on cities.  The fires which would result
would cause soot to be released into the atmosphere.  It is soot which
is the main source of concern.  Soot has the "nice" property of absorbing
almost all incident light which would result in massive cooling of
the earth.

It's not blowing up missiles that is the problem, but blowing up
the cities!

Allen England at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville, IL
ihnp4!ihuxb!alle