Table of Contents
Could we make a gigaton bomb?
So short answer is it has been possible since the 1960’s to create gigaton yield warheads, but there is no practical reason to do so, nor is there a practical means of delivering them.
How strong is a gigaton?
This unit of mass is equivalent to one billion metric tons, 2.2 trillion pounds, or 10,000 fully-loaded U.S. aircraft carriers. Central Park is 4 kilometers long and 0.8 kilometers wide. A gigatonne of ice placed here would extend 341 meters (1,119 feet) high.
What would a nuclear bomb do to the environment?
A nuclear attack would kill wildlife and destroy the vegetation over a large area through a combination of blast, heat, and nuclear radiation. Wildfires could well extend the zone of immediate destruction.
What is the biggest bomb we could make?
| Tsar Bomba | |
|---|---|
| Length | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Diameter | 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) |
| Detonation mechanism | barometric sensor |
| Blast yield | 50–58 megatons of TNT (210–240 PJ) |
How much can 1 nuke destroy?
The volume the weapon’s energy spreads into varies as the cube of the distance, but the destroyed area varies at the square of the distance. Thus 1 bomb with a yield of 1 megaton would destroy 80 square miles. While 8 bombs, each with a yield of 125 kilotons, would destroy 160 square miles.
How many nuclear bombs are missing?
six nuclear weapons
To date, six nuclear weapons have been lost and never recovered.
What comes after a gigaton?
Derived units
| Tonnes | Equivalents* | |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple | Name | US/short tons (ST)† |
| 109 | gigatonne | 1.1023 billion ST |
| 1012 | teratonne | 1.1023 trillion ST |
| 1015 | petatonne | 1.1023 quadrillion ST |
How much is a Teraton?
A teraton is the equivalent, in SI terms, of being 1.00×10^12 tons; 1,000 gigatons; 1,000,000 megatons; 1,000,000,000 kilotons; or 1,000,000,000,000 tons in its entirely expanded form.
How would you survive a nuclear bomb?
GET INSIDE
- Get inside the nearest building to avoid radiation.
- Remove contaminated clothing and wipe off or wash unprotected skin if you were outside after the fallout arrived.
- Go to the basement or middle of the building.
- Stay inside for 24 hours unless local authorities provide other instructions.