What is the negative effect on nuclear submarines?

Answer 1

When the Nuclear submarines exploded, that released nuclear chemicals into the water, therefor poisoning the fish in the water. Also, when the submarines exploded, it sent lots of metal into the ocean, having a long term effect.

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The above answer is VERY odd. Only 2 nuclear submarines have ever been lost due to explosions. Neither released any nuclear materials.

The Skipjack had a torpedo battery explosion which caused sufficient damage that it sank below it's crush depth and imploded.

The K-141 Kursk also sank after an explosion in a torpedo tube.

Considering the details -

• NO NUCLEAR SUBMARINE HAS EVER EXPLODED although they have been damaged by explosions which were entirely contained within hull of the submarine.

• No nuclear chemicals have been released by the subs (so no fish poisoned)

• No nuclear submarine has "sent lots of metal into the ocean"- the hulls got crushed - pushing the metal inward, not blowing it outward.

NOTE: The reactors in nuclear submarines are incapable of exploding - they would melt down first - at which point nuclear fission would stop. The reactors actually rely on control rods being positioned correctly in order to sustain the fission reaction and get the heat to run the turbines. If the control rods are pushed in too far, they shut down the reaction by absorbing too much radiation. If they are pulled out, the particles coming off the fuel go too fast to collide with other nuclei and fission stops. In the words of Goldilocks - they have to be "just right". In the case of a sunken sub, if seawater breached the reactor, it would flood the compartment and stop the reaction too.

Of course a submarine could be caused to explode if an on-board missile were to explode.

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The "negative effects" of nuclear submarines are the same ones shared by all submarines.

1. They are weapons platforms - and weapons are meant to damage and kill
2. Their movement through the water can disrupt the marine environment
3. Their sonar may be a source of problems for beaked whales (other mammals, fish, etc. are unaffected). A statistical correlation has been found between the use of mid-frequency sonar and "mass beachings" (kind of a misleading term since it defined as "two or more whales, within six days, within 74 kilometers"). There has been a correlation calculated between mid-frequency sonar use and strandings in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, but so far, no correlation in California or Japan.