# nuclear explosion under water **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-explosion-under-water/219955 "2003-12-19T13:44:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sinical\_brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@sinical\_brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinical_brit)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-explosion-under-water/219955/1 "2003-12-19T13:44:28Z")
What would happen if you exploded a nuclear weapon at the bottom of the marianas trench ( assuming you could get it down there without it exploding due to pressure ). Would you see anything on the surface above said explosion? Could this be a good place to dispose of the world’s WMDs? Just wandering. sinical ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-explosion-under-water/219955/2 "2003-12-19T13:56:35Z")
[Spooky](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?&threadid=164947) ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-explosion-under-water/219955/3 "2003-12-19T13:59:40Z")
There is a little mention of previous underwater nuclear explosions [here](http://www.bellona.no/en/international/russia/report_1-1994/7568.html#O8). > [@](#): > > \*Nuclear explosions under water create an immense shock wave, probably intended to stall enemy submarines. The first underwater test explosion took place in Charnaya Bay south-west of the southern island outside the southern field for underground test explosions. There are elevated levels of cesium-137, plutonium-239 and plutonium-249 in the lower sediments of this area today. Concentration of plutonium in the lower sediments have been measured at approximately 5,500 Bq/kg. [26] This is the highest level of plutonium ever measured in the Barents Sea. \* But, seems to me just dropping the unprimed bombs to the bottom of the trench would be a better option than deliberately exploding them, if disposal was the main issue in mind. But there are better options for disposal of weapons available that would not cause radioactive pollution. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-explosion-under-water/219955/4 "2003-12-19T14:01:50Z")
Oh…never saw your post there, **Mangetout**. D’oh! (Just a little bit more information in there than in mine). ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-explosion-under-water/219955/5 "2003-12-19T16:55:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sinical brit \* > \*\*What would happen if you exploded a nuclear weapon at the bottom of the marianas trench ( assuming you could get it down there without it exploding due to pressure ). Would you see anything on the surface above said explosion? \*\* But what would it LOOK like? Imagine being there. COSMIC FLASHBULB! Do it at night! I bet it lights up with a stunningly intense pure color, and illuminates the whole ocean for miles around. If you were underwater you might see some very interesting opaque objects in the distant depths. Even better would be to lower cameras a few miles into the regions where giant squid lurk. Nobody has yet explained what giant squid eat, and there are reports of squid measuring far more that 50 ft long. What the heck else is down there? Also, if seven miles of ocean water is seen as a sheet of optical filter, what color is it? Violet? Green? When we stack up many sheets of filter-gel, the result is that the passband becomes narrower and narrower (centered around the peak of the filter spectrum.) See the color of the ocean? The color of seven miles of ocean would be far more monochromatic. Maybe a deep underwater nuke is like a giant purple flashbulb. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-explosion-under-water/219955/6 "2003-12-19T20:34:06Z")
Warning: I have never seen an underwater nuclear detonation. The following is a WILD-A@#-GUESS. I’m not sure if you would see any light. Seven miles of water is a very effective filter for light. Consider how much light we get from the sun, and then think about the fact that at 300 ft beneath the ocean’s surface, only 1% of that light is available. On the other hand, I know nuclear bombs are brighter than the sun, so maybe someone more mathematically inclined can do the math on how much light could be expected to reach the surface. The shock wave and the superheated water and sediment kicked up would surely produce visible effects on the surface. I’d expect some boiling, roiling water, foam, bubbles, sediment that was transported up with the heated water and is now unfortunately radioactive enough to give you a permanent orange afro, etc. My guess is that from the surface, it would be relatively unimpressive, and from anywhere close enough to see it, it would be quite unpleasant. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-explosion-under-water/219955/7 "2003-12-19T20:53:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sinical brit \* > \*\*Would you see anything on the surface above said explosion? > \*\* A shitload of dead fish. ---
**Author:** ![sinical\_brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@sinical\_brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinical_brit)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-explosion-under-water/219955/8 "2004-01-09T13:48:31Z")
Hey Mangetout - that really is odd - it’ll teach me to search before asking ! cheers for all the links guys ! personally -i rekon its a goer - the immense pressure at th bottom of sucha trench should reduce the size of the explosion and only allow it to expand as it rose up the water column. If we didnt explode the device and just dumped it the still water would hold any released contamination for ages. Of cource then there is the possability of GIANT MUTATED SQUID !!! arrrggghhh sinical ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-explosion-under-water/219955/9 "2004-01-09T14:05:22Z")
Mmmmm giant mutated calamari [/Homer]