Fire Dynamics and Plume Rise Modeling Following Nuclear Detonations: Findings and Recommendations from the Report on Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War - A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Consensus Study

There are outstanding questions in determining the scale, fate, and transport of aerosols and gases that may be injected in the stratosphere as a result of a significant fire. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War addresses, among other issues, the understanding of and tools for simulating the characteristics of fires that nuclear detonation may cause and the quantity and characteristics of soot and other material mobilized by the detonations, as well as the transport of source material to the troposphere and stratosphere. This talk will highlight key assumptions that are expected to impact the projections of environmental impacts and recommends strategies and inputs for improved understanding and modeling of fire dynamics and plume rise.