We all know nuclear power is no joke, even during the early days of testing. Old footage has resurfaced which shows the raw power of the nuclear bomb that sent water half a mile high. Even though modern nuclear power has come a long way and this might not be too surprising in today’s age and technology, but seeing a clip from the early atomic ages is still an awe-inspiring moment. The video is from 1958 when the U.S Military denoted an atomic bomb underwater. The clip shows the bomb exploding deep underwater and creating a massive column of water vapors more than half a mile high into the air.
The bomb in question was the Mark 7, which made its debut in 1952 and was designed to be carried by fighters and bombers for dropping on enemy territory. The video of the atomic bomb was uploaded on The Atomic Tests channel which described it as “Within a second of detonation, a spray dome was created that reached a height of 840 feet (260 m) after seven seconds. The overall shape of the spray dome resembled a cone with 45 degree sloped sides. Plumes were seen breaking through the spray dome after six seconds in every direction. The vertical plume continued rising until 12 seconds after the blast while the lateral plumes traveled for 20 seconds before collapsing. The diameter of the spray dome was approximately 3,800 feet (1,200 m) at the 20-second mark.”
The purpose of this testing was to determine the effectiveness of the atomic weapon against submarines and ships. For this reason, many ships were moored nearby to calculate the damage caused by the bomb. After the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963, nuclear weapons testing is now banned on land, sea, or space (don’t get any ideas).
