Risks → War → Nuclear War → Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse (NEMP)
Oh Shit!
Graphic illustration of a nuclear emp
Source: The Black Vault. See: https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/electromagnetic-pulse-emp-weapons/
Overview
A nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NEMP)is the burst of electromagnetic radiation that accompanies the detonation of a nuclear weapon. This burst of
electromagnetic radiation can, in turn, produce damaging
current and voltage surges, that have the potential to severely damage and disrupt critical electronic and communications infrastructure.
The nuclear EMP thus allows a nuclear detonation not only to be used as a weapon of mass destruction but also one of mass disruption. The effectiveness of the
disruption will vary, of course,
depending on the weapon's design and energy yield (particularly gamma ray output), the way it interacts with
the earth's magnetic field but most importantly its height of detonation. Essentially the higher the detonation the more effective will be the pulse and
the larger the area that will be affected. A
high altitude generated electromagnetic pulse is also known as a HEMP.
Effect of a nuclear HEMP generated 400 km above continental USA
Because of the curviture and downward tilt of the earth's magnetic field the maximum EMP occurs to the south of the detonation point.
Source: Wikipedia. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_electromagnetic_pulse#