Test #123 was one of the 57 tests conducted by the Soviet Union in 1961. Its fireball, as seen below, is one of the most iconic images ever captured of a nuclear explosion. was running out of islands to conduct tests, making Romeo the first-ever test conducted on a barge in the ocean.Īt 11,000 kilotons, the test produced more than double its predicted explosive energy of 4,000 kilotons. nuclear tests taking place on the Marshall Islands.
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#9: Castle Romeo (1954)Ĭastle Romeo was part of the Operation Castle series of U.S. The explosion was 700 times more powerful than Little Boy, the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. Weighing 140,000 pounds (63,500kg), the Ivy Mike test generated a yield of 10,400 kilotons, equivalent to the explosive power of 10.4 million tons of TNT. Hydrogen bombs rely on nuclear fusion to amplify their explosions, producing much more explosive energy than atomic bombs that use nuclear fission. detonated the Mike device-the first-ever hydrogen bomb-as part of Operation Ivy. With this context in mind, here’s a look at the 10 largest nuclear explosions. Because the particles are lightweight, global wind patterns often distribute them far beyond the place of detonation. However, it leaves behind radioactive fallout in the form of nuclear particles, debris, dust, and ash, causing lasting damage to the local environment. Over time, the mushroom cloud dissipates. In most atomic explosions, changing atmospheric pressure and water condensation create rings that surround the cloud, also known as Wilson clouds. At the base of the cloud, the fireball causes physical destruction by sending a shockwave moving outwards at thousands of miles an hour.Ī strong updraft of air and dirt particles through the center of the cloud forms the “stem” of the mushroom cloud. The fireball engulfs the surrounding air, getting larger as it rises like a hot air balloon.Īs the fireball and heated air rise, they are flattened by cooler, denser air high up in the atmosphere, creating the mushroom “cap” structure. The Anatomy of a Nuclear ExplosionĪfter exploding, nuclear bombs create giant fireballs that generate a blinding flash and a searing heatwave. This infographic visually compares the 10 largest nuclear explosions in history. and the Soviet Union tested bombs that were at least 500 times greater in explosive power. The explosion instantly vaporized the tower it stood on and turned the surrounding sand into green glass, before sending a powerful heatwave across the desert.Īs the Cold War escalated in the years after WWII, the U.S. The U.S.’ Trinity test in 1945, the first-ever nuclear detonation, released around 19 kilotons of explosive energy. Just how powerful are nuclear explosions? The Top 10 Largest Nuclear Explosions, Visualized
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