Totally impossible.
To generate a large EMP pulse you need to detonate a multi megaton warhead about 200 miles above the USA.
A simple 10k atomic bomb wouldn’t do anything.
On the Potomac?
/johnny
Even then you run not only have the inverse square limitations but also it’s not like we’ve done a whole lot of real world testing of nuclear generated EMP on modern electronics. Sure, some satellites get cooked, radio communication gets screwed for a while and maybe some power grid damage. Better bang for the buck would be lots of homebrew flux compression generators.
“Totally impossible.
To generate a large EMP pulse you need to detonate a multi megaton warhead about 200 miles above the USA.”
The Russians could do it. Obama is well beyond his level of competence.
When fools elect fools to represent them, can calamity be far away?
“200 miles above the USA”
The NK “weather” satellite is still up there. It passes over the US every day.
Actually not really.
40-400 KM high depending on nature and gamma yield of the device. 40 KM is barely 26 miles high. That puts it above the earth’s magnetic field which is about 20-40KM. Nuclear EMP is part of the “Compton effect”. Compton scattering is of course the interaction between the nuclear event and the magnetic field.
Near-surface detonations are localized of course WRT EMP. Interestingly intermediate altitudes don’t induce the Compton effect (the accelerator and expander of the pulse) due to atmospheric absorption of energy.
100 kilotons @ 40 KM would do the trick, line of site, inverse square rules in effect. Larger and higher just extends the line-of-sight effects and intensity.
Multiple fission/fusion devices, lower altitudes would easily disable/disrupt infrastructure serving the population centers of the US along the coasts.
Take a look here and here:
http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/nuke/emp.htm
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1549/1
EMP nukes are gamma ray optimized as opposed to ‘blast’ yield optimized. The Gamma rays induce high energy electrons through interaction/excitement of/with the Earth’s magnetic field to produce the HEMP and SHREMP which peaks in nanoseconds and lasts about one millisecond. Secondary effects may last for more than a second, and these are more like a lightning strike— induceing current (E2) in very long electrical conductors (electrical and phone lines, rail lines, similar).
What’s debatable is the direct effects of nuclear EMP on modern devices.
BUT, we have a ‘thin blue line’ of sorts in our just in time world, and a three-day or three week shutdown of say just15% of critical infrastructure is likely to have DEVASTATING effects on our civility. ESPECIALLY if it’s our electrical and transportation infrastructure.
p.s. — to agree with your post - a very high altitude, multi-megaton burst, gamma ray-optimized gizmo puts us back in the 13th century for years, and the Iranians can’t yet get there.
True, but misleading.
I don't know the math, but the exact same effects over much smaller specific areas are possible. If I remember right, in the past there have been tactical (battlefield) EMP weapons studied and tested.
Also true, is that to render an area the size of the US,Russia, South America or Africa is unpractical.
Plus, I am sure that the universal sandmaggot rules for the entire universe, the queeran, somewhere must contain the prohibition about exploiting physical laws discovered and exploited by unbelievers...