2 ms·

The energy released by an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 on SA is approximately 6.31×10^16 joules. When converted to an equivalent in terms of TNT, this energy amo

The energy released by an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 on SA is approximately 6.31×10^16 joules. When converted to an equivalent in terms of TNT, this energy amounts to about 15,080 kilotons of TNT. (About the same as the Castle Bravo nuclear test) Now, to use such a weapon to cause a stress-relief earthquake, some factors need to come into play: Depth at which the device should be detonated to optimize stress relief without causing surface damage. detailed seismic imaging and rock mechanics studies. Geometry of the fault zone. Even w/ a Castle Bravo type test, massive radioactive fallout would occur in groundwater as well as air. There's also the chance that such an event would cause local volcanic activity.

southernplaces7 2y ago
>this energy amounts to about 15,080 kilotons of TNT. (About the same as the Castle Bravo nuclear test) I thought of mentioning Castle Bravo or Tsar Bomba as contray examples of my general argument, but I simply stated "normal nuke". Neither Bravo or Tsar were at all normal nukes and especially by modern design standards that focus more on the multi-kiloton range and precision-guided multiple strikes against a given area target. Even with those insanely giant old bombs, I wouldn't absolutely be sure that they'd achieve a massive tension release, even in a fault as tense as the San Andreas. Such a thing is likely just a bit too variable-prone to model effectively. As for something like a Hiroshima type bomb doing it, bloody unlikely. The original post comment simply mentioned a bomb so I didn't want to stray into the biggest mega explosives of human military history.