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at this stage are inadequate to provide ths answer to the qu2stion
of where the debris is located in the stratosphere. The next
figure shows some of the reasoning in trying to determine even ths
initial distribution. To the left, we see a drawing of a nuclear
cloud with the familiar stem and mushroom,
In this hypothetical
higheyleld explosion, the entire mushroom has been placed in the
stratosphere above the tropopause.
To the right, we ses, as the
dashed line, the profile of the visible cloud é&the mshroom
If
ons assuzes thst extrems turbulence exists in this cloud so that it
is thoroughly mixed, then at every point ths amount of radioactivity
Sea be constant.
bed
par gram of airy
Since the mss of
‘air per wit volums or density decreases with height, thera would
bs more radioactivity near tha bottom of the cloud.
This is
illustrated by ths solid line. On the other hand, it can be argued
thet the sx31l particles remzin with the fireball and that the
fireball becomes the torroidal ring present with mst, if not all,
nuclear explosions,
If this is the case, then it is possible
that the radioactivity 4s distributed according to profile Be
The geographical locale for the debris is less uncertain.
In
Figure 5, a vertical cross section from pole to pole is show with
the approxizate latitudes of high-yield explosions indicated at the
As previously noted, only those szsll particles
upper border.
initially injected into the stratosphere are of concern.
It is
seen that the height of the bottom of the stratosphere, the tropopause, varies with latitudes.
It also varies in altitude day by
day and scaeon,at the same place,
the stratosphere differs from the troposphere in two important
aspects. First and forezost, whereas the tazperature decreases on
the average of 6,5" Centigrade par Wiometer in the troposphere
there is either no temperature change with height or even, as in the
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