Abstract

In addition to the tremendous fires that will burn for weeks in cities and industrial centers, fires will also rage across croplands and it is likely that at least 1.5 billion tons of stored fossil fuels will be destroyed. The fires will produce a thick smoke layer that will drastically reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the earth’s surface. This darkness would persist for many weeks, rendering any agricultural activity in the Northern Hemisphere virtually impossible if the war takes place during the growing season. The immediate effects of a global nuclear wo.