A nuclear war would irrevocably divide human history into two periods: before the war and the post- war apocalypse. In the most catastrophic scenario, mass fire could engulf tens of thousands of square kilometers, causing hundreds of millions of deaths within hours. However, the most serve consequences would arise afterward, as nuclear warfare could trigger a nuclear winter, potentially killing billions and leading to the collapse of human civilization. This phenomenon results from the massive fires caused by nuclear detonations, which release soot into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight and disrupting global climate system.
The Explosion Causes a Firestorm
When nuclear bomb explodes, it creates an intensive heat wave that incinerates everything within a larger radius. The explosion causes a firestorm, which generates an updraft of hot air, forming a pyro cumulonimbus cloud. These clouds can carry soot and aerosols into the stratosphere, where they cannot be washed away by rain, allowing them to persist for years. A single nuclear event would have localized effects, but in a full-scale nuclear winter. This reeducation in sunlight would not lead to total darkness but would cause a significant drop in temperatures, severely affecting the earth climate and food production.
Worst-Case Scenario, Widespread Starvation Would Ensue
The duration of nuclear winter, though temporary, would last for about a decade, during which temperatures would remain low and growing seasons would be shortened or cease entirely. The resulting disruption to agriculture would devastate global food supplies, particularly in mind- latitude regions that produce the majority of the world food. In the worst-case scenario, widespread starvation would ensue, with the global death toll potentially reaching billions.
Nuclear Exchange Between India and Pakistan
Simulation suggests that a limited nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan could kill millions and disrupt agriculture enough to cause significant food shortages. A larger conflict involving the unites states, Russia, or China could lead to global catastrophe, with over 90% of global food production lost, resulting I widespread famine and the possible collapse of civilization. While some regions in the southern hemisphere such as Australia or Argentina, might endure due to less serve climate effects, the global impact would be devastating.
By
Dr. Abid Hussain Nawaz, Ph.D.
Rumana Gull, Scholar Master of Philosophy Biological Sciences
