The software program SHARC (Specialized Hazard Assessment Response Capability) is used to simulate the release of radioactivity from a nuclear weapon via either conventional detonation or by non-explosive techniques. To do this, SHARC creates a nuclear detonation scenario or a radioactive dispersal device (RDD) scenario. Each scenario is associated with an event that describes when and where the material was released and each event can support multiple scenarios of each type. For each scenario, SHARC works with an integrated geographic information system (GIS) engine and population databases (U.S. Census and Landscan) for the graphical display of areas affected by the radiation and for the estimation of casualties and fatalities. The GIS results can also be exported to Google Earth. Furthermore, an integrated report engine can be used to automatically convert the graphical and textual model output into a Microsoft Word™ or Microsoft PowerPoint™ document.

In addition to the features above, SHARC is fully integrated with the Turbo FRMAC software, another Sandia product.  Turbo FRMAC uses the results of the dispersed radiation to calculate official federal response guidance as devised by the Interagency Assessment Working Group.  The results of Turbo FRMAC are returned to SHARC and allow SHARC to contour the data such that the maps produced by SHARC reflect the area affected by federal guidance.

SHARC features include the following capabilities, integration with other packages, and outputs:

• Integrated with Nuke 2.0, which provides prompt nuclear detonation effects that include:
  • High-energy radiation output (neutron + gamma)
  • Thermal radiation output
  • Crater formation
  • Electromagnetic pulse (EMP)
  • Overpressure output
• Prompt nuclear effects figures that include:
  • Fatalities and casualties
  • Damage to heavy structures
  • Damage to light structures
  • Prompt thermal radiation effects (skin burns)
• Integrated with AIRRAD 2.0, DELFIC, and HYSPLIT, which provides nuclear detonation fallout predictions.
• Nuclear detonation fallout figures that include:
  • Exposure rate at user-specified time.
  • Acute radiation fallout pattern that includes estimates of fatalities and casualties from the combination of fallout and prompt high energy radiation.
  • Acute radiation fallout pattern that includes estimates of fatal and non-fatal cancers from the combination of fallout and prompt high-energy radiation.
• Integrated with Blast 2.0, which provides prompt conventional high-explosive detonation effects that include:
  • Overpressure
  • Impulse
  • Crater formation
• Prompt conventional high explosive plots that include fatalities and casualties, range of shattered glass, and range of incapacitation.
• Integrated with ERAD 7.0, which provides for the dispersal of radioactive materials by either conventional explosive means or non-explosive means.  ERAD also has the ability to calculate the effects of foam mitigation on a detonation dispersal of radioactive material.
• Radioactive dispersal plots that include:
  • Acute radiation fatalities and casualties
  • Chronic radiation fatalities and casualties
  • Exposure rate plots
• Fully integrated GIS mapping engine.
• Fully integrated automatic report generation.
• Integrated with Radionuclide Viewer, which displays radionuclide-specific dose coefficients, decay chain information, and basic radionuclide data.
• Ability to handle multiple simultaneous events and multiple nuclear and radiological scenarios per event.