One Nuclear Explosion Over Denver

The document describes the devastating effects of a 550-kiloton nuclear explosion over Denver, estimating 60,000 immediate deaths and 60,000 serious injuries. It details the mechanisms of destruction—blast, heat, and radioactive fallout—and uses this scenario to advocate for the removal of weapons from hair-trigger alert and the eventual elimination of nuclear arsenals to prevent accidental or unauthorized attacks.

• A single typical Russian nuclear weapon (550 kilotons) detonating 2,000 feet above downtown Denver would result in approximately 60,000 deaths and 60,000 serious injuries within hours.
• The blast from such an explosion would cause total destruction and death within a one-mile radius, with building collapses and high mortality rates extending up to three miles, and structural damage reaching five miles.
• Thermal radiation would cause third-degree burns to almost everyone not shielded by a building within five miles, and second- or third-degree burns to most within six miles, while materials would spontaneously ignite within four to five miles.
• Nuclear fallout would contaminate thousands of square miles based on Denver's average wind speed of 9 mph, causing immediate death for those in the inner region, acute radiation sickness for those in middle and outer regions, and increased lifetime cancer risks for others.
• To mitigate the risk of accidental or unauthorized Russian attacks, the document recommends that the U.S. president remove weapons from hair-trigger alert, limit the purpose of nuclear weapons to deterrence, and work toward the eventual elimination of all nuclear weapons.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2008). One Nuclear Explosion Over Denver. https://www.ucs.org/resources/one-nuclear-explosion-over-denver

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. One Nuclear Explosion Over Denver. 2008. https://www.ucs.org/resources/one-nuclear-explosion-over-denver.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=One Nuclear Explosion Over Denver |date=11 August 2008 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/one-nuclear-explosion-over-denver |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2008one, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{One Nuclear Explosion Over Denver}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2008}, month = aug, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/one-nuclear-explosion-over-denver}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }