Nukemap (stylised in all caps) is an interactive map using Mapbox[1]API and declassified nuclear weapons effects data, created by Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science at the Stevens Institute of Technology who studies the history of nuclear weapons. The initial version was created in February 2012, with major upgrades in July 2013,[2][3][4] which enables users to model the explosion of nuclear weapons (contemporary, historical, or of any given arbitrary yield) on virtually any terrain and at virtually any altitude of their choice.[5] A variation of the script, Nukemap3D, featured rough models of mushroom clouds in 3D, scaled to their appropriate sizes.[6][7] (Since [Google] deprecated the Google Earth plugin in 2016, Nukemap3D has not been functional. It is possible to export the Nukemap3D mushroom cloud files within Nukemap, using its "Export to KMZ" tool.[8])
The computer simulation of the effects of nuclear detonations has been described both as "stomach-churning" (by Wellerstein himself) and as "the most fun I’ve had with Google Maps since… well, possibly ever" despite the admittedly abjectly grim nature of the subject.[9] Originally intended in part as a pedagogical device to illustrate the stark difference in scale between fission and fusion bombs,[10] Nukemap went viral in 2013, necessitating a move to new servers.[6] The website averages five "nukes" per visitor.[3] Wellerstein's creation has garnered some popularity amongst nuclear strategists as an open source tool for calculating the costs of nuclear exchanges.[11] As of October 2024, more than 350.7 million nukes have been "dropped" on the site.[citation needed]
