answersLogoWhite

0

Can atom bombs cause earthquakes

User Avatar

Anonymous

7y ago
Updated: 8/21/2019

Underground detonations do cause earthquakes, however unlike natural earthquakes they produce only p-waves, they do not produce any s-waves. This makes them very easy to identify.

The only underground nuclear detonations that have occurred so far were test shots. However deep penetrator warheads designed to take out missile silos or other fortifications will produce even stronger earthquakes, due to their much higher yield compared to typical test shots.

Low altitude airbursts sometimes produce weak vibrations in the ground (sometimes these might be detectable on seismographs), but not actual earthquakes.

User Avatar

Wiki User

7y ago

What else can I help you with?