The Tonga volcano mystery

originally posted by: loveguy
a reply to: Terpene
33km deep

0km deep

15 minutes to go from 33km to 0 km?

Very fast moving magma/gases!

84 miles per hour.

You're looking for zebras when you should be looking for horses.

Volcanos are famous for their tunnels and voids. Does anybody know why you don't use water to put out a magnesium fire? Does anybody know why you don't cool off hot brakes on a truck or plane with water?

When water comes into contact with an extremely hot surface it creates steam. That alone can be extremely dangerous. It can also break down into hydrogen and oxygen, which can explode.

There was an eruption in December. Let's say that eruption cracked open one of the tunnels around the volcano, letting water get to the magma. Over several days, either steam pressure or hydrogen and oxygen built up causing the explosion. Either one can be powerful, especially at that scale.

In World War II when a ship sank, more people were killed in the explosion from water reaching the hot boilers, than from bombs and shells cooking off. The USS Hammond was torpedoed alongside the USS Yorktown, by the Japanese submarine I-168, during the battle of Midway. There were very few casualties from the torpedo, but there were massive casualties from an explosion after the Hammond sank. For years it was believed that it was the Hammond's depth charges going off that was the cause. When Ballard found the wreck of the Yorktown, he also found the wreckage of the Hammond. There was evidence that it wasn't the Hammond's depth charges that exploded it was her boilers. Damage found on the wreck of the Yorktown indicated that the explosion may have contributed more to her sinking than the I-168's torpedos.

a reply to: vonclod

Sorry, my thanks was not meant to sound nearly as sarcastic as it must have. Genuine thanks for reinforcing my previous statements.

originally posted by: Salander
More circumstantial evidence that this was not a volcanic eruption at all, but something else, like a nuclear event.

Very very interesting. I would love to understand this point of view.
Let's hear the arguments and what they are scientifically based on.

a reply to: Terpene

Meteor impact, not an eruption.

a reply to: Dutchowl

A meteor just happened to impact on an already actively erupting volcano? What do you suppose the odds of that are?

a reply to: vonclod

Certain designs of nuclear weapons can 100% detonate by accident. We may have better designs now, but thats from testing. What we tested was not the same as what we have now.

The fissure material in the core is wrapped in a high explosive wrapping basically. Like the way a primer is needed to detonate C4, a high explosive is used to detonate nuclear weapons. Some use an explosive to shoot the material, others are wrapped around the material and the detonation causes a chain reaction.

It has been a while since I studied it, but I do remember that much. The who 'cant go off by accident' thing is propaganda to make us feel safe. Nothing is perfect. I'm not saying that volcano was a nuke, but I am saying a nuke in the ocean for 70 years may possibly detonate depending on its design. If WW2 bombs containing high explosives are regularly detonated in Europe, there is no reason to think a Korean era nuke would be too old.

Depending on the design, the odds of one going off by accident are roughly the same as a conventional bomb from WW2 detonating without anyone messing with it. It does not happen on its own that I know of, but that doesn't mean it cannot.

If I was scuba diving and came across one, I wouldnt tap on it or hit it with a hammer, even though it would probably be fine.

a reply to: Kocag

But Russia has the Moab

Mother of all bombs

I suspect they used this if not a nuke

a reply to: Dyax-

They have the Father of all Bombs. Like the MOAB, which is an American weapon, it's a thermobaric device, meaning it needs oxygen around it to be effective. There is absolutely no evidence that this was anything but a natural volcanic eruption.

a reply to: TrollMagnet

In the roughly 80 years since the first nuclear detonation, how many nuclear devices have had accidental nuclear detonations?

None.

Not a single one, in any of the various armed forces around the globe.

There have been several instances of the high explosive going off, usually in plane crashes or accidental weapons releases, but still no nuclear detonations.

And, again, there has neither been any lost or missing nuclear weapons in that area nor any rumors of there having been.

a reply to: Dyax-

The U.S. has the MOAB, Russia has The FOAB (Father Of All Bombs). both of which are in the kiloton range not Megaton Range.

Father of All Bombs

Might could set off a volcano if they penetrate enough, but is highly doubtful because their not Penetrators, they work as a air burst weapon. Plus both are air drop from aircraft, not by missile nor satellite.

a reply to: BernnieJGato

It wasn't a bomb. It was a natural explosion. I don't think that there's a nuke powerful enough to do that kind of damage. If it was a nuke, radiation would be detected and so far I haven't heard of any.

a reply to: JIMC5499

I agree see my first post on page one.

Comrades own MOAB

Mother of all bombs

Strongest bomb not being nuclear

a reply to: BernnieJGato

I saw it and starred it.

a reply to: JIMC5499

Thanks

The Eruption before and after were video taped and on YouTube

youtu.be...

Mothernature not Russia imo. I suppose there is a 1 in a trillion chance it was a meteorite, however.

Someone’s strategic command took out an alien base, or submerged ship.

Probably not, but I enjoyed typing it.

originally posted by: TrollMagnet
a reply to: vonclod

Certain designs of nuclear weapons can 100% detonate by accident. We may have better designs now, but thats from testing. What we tested was not the same as what we have now.

The fissure material in the core is wrapped in a high explosive wrapping basically. Like the way a primer is needed to detonate C4, a high explosive is used to detonate nuclear weapons. Some use an explosive to shoot the material, others are wrapped around the material and the detonation causes a chain reaction.

It has been a while since I studied it, but I do remember that much. The who 'cant go off by accident' thing is propaganda to make us feel safe. Nothing is perfect. I'm not saying that volcano was a nuke, but I am saying a nuke in the ocean for 70 years may possibly detonate depending on its design. If WW2 bombs containing high explosives are regularly detonated in Europe, there is no reason to think a Korean era nuke would be too old.

Depending on the design, the odds of one going off by accident are roughly the same as a conventional bomb from WW2 detonating without anyone messing with it. It does not happen on its own that I know of, but that doesn't mean it cannot.

If I was scuba diving and came across one, I wouldnt tap on it or hit it with a hammer, even though it would probably be fine.

Well, at 10 mt, this is thermonuclear, so many things have to be perfect, the implosion needs to be perfect, all the many detonators/explosives which are electrically fired, need to be at the exact moment to set of the initial, which set off the secondary. I think its unplausible that it all goes right, from anything sitting at the bottom of the ocean for a long time. A best you could get, dirty bomb maybe, but would never come close to any yield. And if it happened, it would be detected. Now I'm no expert, but thats my opinion based on how I understand this stuff works.

a reply to: vonclod

You are absolutely correct.