Huge Explosions from the Past 200 Years

A major explosion can change the course of history. It can level a forest or wipe an entire town from existence. Not only can a large explosion destroy human life, it can change the climate on a global scale and impact local and world-wide geology and weather conditions for years to come, as these huge explosions from the past 200 years have shown us.

Volcanic Explosions

The volcanic explosion that occured in 1815 at Mount Tamboro, Indonesia, may be the largest natural disaster in history. The volcanic eruption is said to have had the impact of 1,000 megatons of TNT. This huge explosion caused world-wide weather and climate changes, including snow in the middle of the following summer in New York City, half way around the world. The resulting ash and soot left from this enormous explosion travelled around the globe, producing world-wide changes in weather and climate.

The Karakatoa Volcano erupted in 1883, twice on August 26 and twice again, on the following day. Not only did the resulting explosions completely erase two-thirds of the island, but they triggered a massive psunami, which destroyed nearly 300 towns and villages in Sumatra and Java, killing more than 36,000 people. The effects of these four explosions were documented around the world, in locations as distant as Japan, Australia, Haiwai and Alaska.

Nuclear Explosions

The series of explosions which took place at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine, in 1986 spread devastation throughout the Soviet Union and had world-wide consequences. The Chernobyl disaster released four hundred times more radiation than that which was released during the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. A resulting 4,000 deaths will ultimately be attributed to this explosion and the impact of radiation poisoning is certain to be carried on through future generations.

The Trinity atomic bomb Test, in the state of New Mexico altered history forever. At this site in the US the first atomic bomb was exploded, causing a huge mushroom cloud to fill the air over the dessert. The fallout of this explosion rained down across the United States, and was carried world wide. The rate of infant mortality rose sharply throughout the affected areas of the country in the years that followed. Nuclear radiation, once released into the atmosphere, does not disapear for many years into the future. As of fall 2010, contanimation remains on and around the area of the explosion.

The atomic bombs detonated by the United States in the Japenese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in an estimated 250,000 deaths in these cities. This number is thought to be conservative, however, based on the fact that the chaos which followed the bombings made it impossible to determine an actual count. The effects of radiation on the generations that followed continue through this day. World-wide effects may never completely be known, as radiation has been carried from one country to another, over the course of time.

Accidental Explosions

The huge explosion which occured in Halifax, Nova Scotia, resulted in the loss of more than 2,000 lives. Another 9,000 people were injured during this disaster. On December 6, 1917 the SS Mont Blanc, a French ship which carried wartime explosives, collided in Halifax Harbor with a second ship, the SS Imo. The explosion itself levelled 2 square kilometers of buildings, homes and structures. The huge explosion also caused a psunami and a sent a shockwave across the city. Destruction from this event was carried throughout the region, and eventually destroyed towns up and down the coast.

The explosion of the French Liberty ship known as the Grandcamp and the destruction of Texas City, Texas in the year 1947, was only the beginning of a two-day long nightmare that ended in the explosion of several crude oil tanks and that of a second ship bearing ammonium nitrate fertilizer, the High Flyer. The effects of this explosion shattered windows in store fronts as far away as the Texas City of Galveston. The blast incinerated persons on board the Grandcamp, and the after-effects took the lives of dozens of emergency personal including police and firemen who arrived to help deal with the crisis. Medical clinics were over-run with injured persons. Clouds of smoke and sulfer residue filled the air for days following the initial explosion.

The munitions depot explosion which took place in Fauld, in Staffordshire England in 1944 left a crater in the earth that was 400 feet deep and three-quarters of a mile long. More than 3,500 tons of highly explosive artillery, including bombs and millions of rounds of live ammunition exploded at this site, creating one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. A nearby resevoir was destroyed by the explosion, creating additional devastation to the area as water poured forth, flooding the area. An estimated 75 people died during the explosion, and many others were injured.

Deliberate Explosions

On October 10, 1885 the Army Corp of Engineers detonated more than 300,000 pounds of explosives, in order to obliterate the island once known as flood rock. This planned explosion was used to clear the Hell Gate for shipping trafffic on New York's East River. The explosion was felt as far away as New Jersey. It created a wall of water 150 high and 400 foot long.

Mysterious Explosions

The Tunguska Fireball exploded over Siberia in 1908. While many have speculated on the cause of this huge explosion, little evidence exsits to confirm or deny any supposed causes. What is known is that a massive explosion occured in this region obliterating more than 840 square miles, felling over 60 million trees and sending a shockwave through the atmosphere that caused a huge amount of devastation to the surrounding region. This huge explosion errupted in the air with the same force as at least 15 megatons of TNT.