Month: May 2007

Letter Re: More About Understanding EMP and HEMP

JWR: Your discussion about EMP effects from ground blast or a low altitude nuclear explosion [posted on April 23rd] was excellent. Apart from electromagnetic coupling to conductors, which would extend the destructive horizon, atmospheric nuclear explosion EMP effects are limited in range. This is due to several factors, first by the rapid absorption of gamma rays by molecules in the atmosphere (small absorption layer or boundary effect), and second by the line of sight radiation from the decay of the short lived Compton electrons (limited horizon effect). You correctly discount the likelihood of a high altitude EMP (HEMP) as an …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader JH e-mailed to comment that a road infrastructure weakness has been revealed in Oakland, California. He wrote: “Yesterday a tanker truck loaded with 8,600 gallons of gasoline overturned and burst into flames collapsing the approach to the Oakland Bay Bridge. This bridge handles some 75,000 vehicles per day. Traffic will be re-routed for weeks or months. Does this not increase the strain on the other bridges in the area? What if another bridge/overpass is disabled? Is this not another indication to the terrorists that we are vulnerable in this vital area?” My advice: Plan multiple alternate “Get out of …