This film from ARAC, the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability, and its National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratories, summarizes the global assessments provided by ARAC during the first two weeks after the Chernobyl reactor accident began in April, 1986. The ARAC project is a Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored real-time emergency response service available for use by both federal and state agencies in case of a potential or actual atmospheric release of nuclear material aka a nuclear detonation. At the time this film was produced, ARAC was using a hemispherical computer model developed in part by Leonard A. Lawson to predict the evolution of the nuclear cloud. The study shown in the film lasted for 11 days, and provided an estimate of the dose patterns over Europe and the Northern Hemisphere.
Results of ARAC’s work and measurements made by European countries during that same period show that no major short-term acute health effects would be expected in Europe as a result of this accident. Of course, statistical long-term health effects were not addressed in these studies. In the United States, both measured and calculated I-131 concentrations in milk in the time period were over an order of magnitude below the USDA guideline of 15,000 pCi/l.
ARAC/NARAC continues to provide tools and expertise to simulate and map the spread and impacts of hazardous materials accidentally or intentionally released into the atmosphere. These plume predictions are used to inform decisions on actions to protect the public and the environment. The operations center and expert staff are available on a 24/7 basis to respond to emergencies anywhere in the world. Since its foundation in 1979, the center has responded to hundreds of alerts, accidents, and disasters; supported thousands of exercises; and conducted numerous studies related to emergency response preparedness.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
