A nuclear war would involve such prodigious and concentrated short term
release of high temperature energy that it is necessary to consider a
variety of potential environmental effects.
It is true that the energy of nuclear weapons is dwarfed by many
natural phenomena. A large hurricane may have the power of a million
hydrogen bombs. But the energy release of even the most severe weather
is diffuse; it occurs over wide areas, and the difference in
temperature between the storm system and the surrounding atmosphere is
relatively small. Nuclear detonations are just the opposite--highly
concentrated with reaction temperatures up to tens of millions of
degrees Fahrenheit. Because they are so different from natural
processes, it is necessary to examine their potential for altering the
environment in several contexts.