What is a nuclear winter?

The term "nuclear winter" was first used in 1983 by a team of scientists who were appointed to investigate the effects of a nuclear war on the environment. A nuclear war would have devastating consequences for the earth’s environment and all its inhabitants, including humans.

The combined power of all the nuclear weapons would raise enough dust to block sunlight from reaching the earth’s surface. The air temperature would plummet, and the ozone layer would be permanently destroyed. The ozone layer protects all life on earth from the harmful ultraviolet light of the sun, so nothing would survive its destruction. A nuclear winter would be an extinction-level event.