physics

Nukemap

Nukemap is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nukemap rather than just read about it. In short: Nukemap (stylised in all caps) is a web application used to visualize the effects of nuclear weapons. It was created by Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science at the Stevens Institute of Technology who studies the history of nuclear weapons.

Key takeaways

Nukemap belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nukemap to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nukemap from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nukemap (stylised in all caps) is a web application used to visualize the effects of nuclear weapons. It was created by Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science at the Stevens Institute of Technology who studies the history of nuclear weapons. It uses declassified nuclear weapons effects data and an interactive mapping API to represent the effects of a nuclear detonation: blast, thermal radiation, ionizing radiation, and nuclear fallout, among others, and can model weapons with different explosive yields, heights of burst, and fission fractions. It can also provide estimates for the casualties of such a detonation.

Background The initial version was created in February 2012, with major upgrades in July 2013, which enables users to model the explosion of nuclear weapons (contemporary, historical, or of any given arbitrary yield) on virtually any terrain and at virtually any altitude of their choice. A variation of the script, Nukemap3D, featured rough models of mushroom clouds in 3D, scaled to their appropriate sizes. (Since Google deprecated the Google Earth plugin in 2016, Nukemap3D has not been functional. It is possible to export the Nukemap3D mushroom cloud files within Nukemap, using its "Export to KMZ" tool.) The computer simulation of the effects of nuclear detonations has been described both as "stomach-churning" (by Wellerstein himself) and as "the most fun I’ve had with Google Maps since… well, possibly ever" despite the admittedly abjectly grim nature of the subject. Originally intended in part as a pedagogical device to illustrate the stark difference in scale between fission and fusion bombs, Nukemap went viral in 2013, necessitating a move to new servers. The website averages five "nukes" per visitor. Wellerstein's creation has garnered some popularity amongst nuclear strategists as an open source tool for calculating the costs of nuclear exchanges. The Nukemap was a finalist for the National Science Foundation's Visualization Challenge in 2014. The initial version of the application used the Google Maps API. In 2018, Google's API changed its pricing, and it was converted to use the Mapbox API, which at the time was cheaper. As of 2023, it was converted to use Protomaps, a self-hosted, open-source mapping platform that relies on OpenStreetMap data and the MapLibre API.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nukemap

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nukemap claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nukemap before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nukemap ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nukemap

In research: Nukemap appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nukemap in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nukemap is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Internet properties established in 2012, Nuclear warfare, Nuclear weapons, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nukemap outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nukemap in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nukemap means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nukemap out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nukemap in simple terms?

Why does Nukemap matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nukemap?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nukemap.