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NukeMap v3.7.0
1Choose a location or target
2Set yield, burst type, and wind conditions
3Run the detonation model
4Review effects, casualties, shelter, and exports
38 Weapons
WW3 Simulation
MIRV Strikes
Fallout Modeling
Shelter Analysis
12 Map Styles
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Online
0strikes
NukeMap
v3.7.0
Quick Targets
Warhead
15 kT
0.001 kT100 MT
Physics Model
Mach stem enhancement at optimal burst height. Validated against HSAJ 10kT.
Detonation
%
Weapon Presets
Historical Detonations
Effect Rings
Detonate a weapon to see modeled effect rings.
Estimated Casualties
Fatalities
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Injuries
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Total Affected
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Total Yield
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Detonate a weapon to see estimates
Save / Load Scenario
Save current detonations to browser storage for later.
Scenario saves use schema v1 with name, folder, updated time, and detonation rows.
MIRV Strike
Select a MIRV preset, then click the map
Weapon Comparison
vs
What Would I Experience?
Enable, then click anywhere on the map to see a detailed report of effects at that distance from ground zero.
Measure Distance
Enable, then click two or more points on the map to measure distances.
WW3 Simulation
Full-scale nuclear exchange with animated missile arcs, phased escalation, and live casualty tracking.
Simulation idle
Attack Scenarios
Missile Flight Time
Uses last detonation as target. Calculates from major launch sites.
Map Style
Overlays
Am I Safe? (GPS)
Uses your browser location to check against the last detonation.
Your GPS coordinates stay in this browser and are never uploaded by NukeMap.
Display
Immersive
Export
CSV import limit: 500 rows, 256 KB. Required columns: lat, lng, yield_kt, burst_type.
Diagnostics
Weapon Arsenal
Browse all weapons by country. Click to select.
Nuclear Glossary
YieldTotal energy released, measured in kilotons (kT) or megatons (MT) of TNT equivalent.
AirburstDetonation at optimal altitude to maximize blast damage. No crater, minimal fallout.
Surface BurstDetonation at ground level. Creates crater, produces heavy radioactive fallout.
HEMPHigh-altitude Electromagnetic Pulse. Detonation at 30-400+ km altitude creates continent-scale EMP with no blast damage at ground level.
MIRVMultiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicle. Single missile carries multiple warheads aimed at different targets.
Overpressure (psi)Air pressure above normal atmospheric. 5 psi collapses most buildings. 20 psi destroys reinforced concrete.
FalloutRadioactive debris carried downwind after surface burst. Most dangerous in first 48 hours (7:10 decay rule).
FirestormSelf-sustaining fire with hurricane-force inward winds. Consumes all oxygen in the area. Occurred at Hiroshima.
FissionSplitting heavy atoms (U-235, Pu-239). Powers all nuclear weapons. Pure fission weapons: up to ~500 kT.
ThermonuclearTwo-stage design using fission primary to ignite fusion secondary. No theoretical yield limit. Most modern weapons.
CEPCircular Error Probable. Radius within which 50% of warheads land. Modern ICBMs: ~100-200m. GPS-guided bombs: ~30m.
Boosted FissionFission weapon with deuterium-tritium gas injected to increase yield. More efficient than pure fission. Used in most tactical warheads.
TritiumRadioactive hydrogen isotope (H-3). Half-life 12.3 years. Required for boosted weapons and thermonuclear secondaries. Must be continuously produced.
Critical MassMinimum amount of fissile material needed to sustain a chain reaction. ~52 kg for U-235 sphere, ~10 kg for Pu-239.
ImplosionWeapon design using conventional explosives to compress a plutonium core to supercriticality. Used in Fat Man and all modern weapons.
Gun-TypeSimplest weapon design. Fires one subcritical mass into another. Only works with U-235. Used in Little Boy. Inefficient but reliable.
Teller-UlamTwo-stage thermonuclear design. Fission primary implodes a separate fusion secondary via X-ray radiation pressure. Enables megaton yields.
Neutron BombEnhanced radiation weapon (ERW). Maximizes prompt neutron radiation while minimizing blast. Designed to kill tank crews while leaving infrastructure intact.
EMPElectromagnetic Pulse. Gamma rays from detonation ionize air molecules, generating intense electromagnetic fields that destroy unshielded electronics.
E1/E2/E3Three phases of high-altitude EMP. E1 (~nanoseconds): destroys electronics. E2 (~microseconds): similar to lightning. E3 (~seconds): like geomagnetic storm, damages power grid.
Prompt RadiationNeutron and gamma radiation emitted within the first minute. Lethal to ~2 km for large weapons. Travels at speed of light.
Thermal PulseIntense infrared and visible light flash lasting seconds. Causes burns and ignites fires. Two-pulse phenomenon: initial spike then sustained emission.
Blast WaveShock front of compressed air traveling outward at supersonic speed. Main cause of structural damage. Followed by negative pressure phase.
Dynamic PressureWind force behind the blast wave. Measured in psi. Causes missile damage from debris. Distinct from static overpressure.
Mach StemReinforced shock wave formed when the incident blast wave reflects off the ground and merges with the direct wave. Increases overpressure at ground level.
7:10 RuleFallout radiation decays by a factor of 10 for every 7-fold increase in time. At 49 hours, radiation is 1/100th of 1-hour level.
Rem/SievertUnits of radiation dose equivalent. 1 Sv = 100 rem. 100 rem causes radiation sickness. 450-600 rem is LD50 (lethal dose for 50%).
LD50Lethal Dose 50%. Radiation exposure that kills 50% of an exposed population within 60 days without medical treatment. ~450-600 rem for humans.
ICBMIntercontinental Ballistic Missile. Range >5,500 km. Flight time ~30 minutes US-Russia. Typically carries 1-10 MIRV warheads.
SLBMSubmarine-Launched Ballistic Missile. Fired from SSBNs. Shorter flight time than ICBMs from forward patrol areas. Primary second-strike capability.
SSBNNuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. Carries 16-24 SLBMs. Nearly undetectable. Guarantees second-strike capability.
IRBM/MRBMIntermediate/Medium-Range Ballistic Missile. Range 1,000-5,500 km. Banned between US-Russia by INF Treaty (1987-2019).
CounterforceTargeting strategy aimed at enemy nuclear forces (silos, bases, subs). Requires high accuracy (low CEP). Intended to limit retaliation.
CountervalueTargeting strategy aimed at enemy cities and economic infrastructure. Lower accuracy required. Basis of mutual assured destruction (MAD).
MADMutual Assured Destruction. Deterrence doctrine where both sides can absorb a first strike and still destroy the other. Requires secure second-strike forces.
First StrikePreemptive nuclear attack intended to destroy enemy's nuclear forces before they can launch. Requires destroying ICBMs, bombers, and C2 simultaneously.
Second StrikeRetaliatory nuclear attack after absorbing a first strike. SSBNs are the primary second-strike platform due to survivability.
Launch on WarningDoctrine to launch nuclear missiles upon detecting incoming attack, before impact. Reduces decision time to ~15 minutes for ICBMs.
Dead HandSoviet/Russian automatic nuclear retaliation system (Perimetr). Ensures launch even if command authority is destroyed. Activated during crisis.
Nuclear TriadThree delivery systems: land-based ICBMs, submarine SLBMs, and strategic bombers. Redundancy ensures no single attack can disarm all forces.
Nuclear WinterHypothesized climate catastrophe from mass fires injecting soot into stratosphere. Even limited exchange could reduce global temperatures 1-5°C for years.
Nuclear SharingNATO arrangement where US nuclear weapons are stationed in allied countries (Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey) for delivery by allied aircraft.
Tactical Nuclear WeaponLow-yield weapon (<100 kT) for battlefield use. Includes artillery shells, short-range missiles, depth charges, landmines. Blurs escalation thresholds.
Strategic Nuclear WeaponHigh-yield weapon (100+ kT) for long-range delivery against enemy homeland. Carried by ICBMs, SLBMs, and strategic bombers.
Fission FractionPercentage of total yield from fission (vs fusion). Determines fallout intensity. Pure fission = 100%. Typical thermonuclear = 50%.
Optimal Burst HeightAltitude that maximizes a specific overpressure radius via Mach stem formation. Scales as Y^(1/3). Prevents crater and fallout.
Glasstone & DolanAuthors of "The Effects of Nuclear Weapons" (1977), the standard unclassified reference for nuclear effects calculations. Basis for most simulators.
Cube Root ScalingBlast effects scale with the cube root of yield. Doubling destructive radius requires 8x the yield. Fundamental to all nuclear effects calculations.
HGVHypersonic Glide Vehicle. Warhead that separates from booster and glides at Mach 5+ in upper atmosphere. Maneuverable, harder to intercept than ballistic trajectory.
Warhead ReentryPhase when ICBM warheads reenter atmosphere at ~7 km/s. Ablative heat shields protect warhead. Terminal phase lasts ~1 minute from 100 km altitude.
DEFCONDefense Condition. US military readiness scale 1-5. DEFCON 5 = peacetime. DEFCON 1 = nuclear war imminent. Lowest reached: DEFCON 2 (Cuban Missile Crisis).
Historic Nuclear Tests
Click any test to simulate it. Educational context from published sources.
Physics Methodology
Every effect ring's formula and its published source. NukeMap uses Glasstone & Dolan scaling laws validated against NWFAQ and HSAJ peer-reviewed data.
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