How do governments and militaries test out nuclear weapons without creating disastrous effects on the environment/ecosystem?

Question

Just like the title says, I don’t understand how they can test nuclear bombs in the desert, or Bikini Atoll (in the ocean) without permanently irradiating the ecosystem (and consequently, Earth) beyond repair.

They’ve tested dozens and dozens of nuclear bombs throughout the years, and I’m confused why that hasn’t messed our world up?

In: 352

Answer 1

It very much does mess up the area locally…. they had to scrape up all the contaminated land on Bikini Atoll and put it under a concrete dome (and it’s leaking).

Tests since the 1960s though have all been deep underground. And other than India, Pakistan and North Korea, no other country has tested weapons at all since the early/mid 1990s.