blast wave
Detonation's traveling force
A blast wave is the intense pulse of air pressure that radiates outward from an explosion.
Unlike the fireball or debris, the blast wave itself is invisible—a rapidly expanding shell of compressed air that can flatten structures, shatter windows, and cause severe injury to anyone in its path.
The damage potential depends on the explosion's size and the distance from it.
The blast wave from the bomb knocked people off their feet a block away.
- shockwavePropagating pressure disturbance
- overpressurePressure exceeding ambient levels
- pressure differentialDifference in force per area
- detonationExplosive ignition event
- explosionViolent burst of energy
airburst · air burst · TNT · compression · impulse · attenuation · Mach number · wavefront · sonic boom · fragmentation · flying debris · structural damage · broken glass · acoustic energy · propagation · debris field · bomb · velocity
- wavesripples, wavefront, surf, waveform, tsunami
- Explosionsexplosion, detonation, boom, bang, burst
- meteor impactscraters, impact crater, impact craters, crater, meteorite
- Nuclear Testsnuclear test, nuclear explosion, underground test, atmospheric test, weapons test
- shock wavesshock waves, sonic boom, Mach number, overpressure, shadowgraph
- volcanoesvolcano, volcanic eruption, Mount Fuji, volcanic eruptions, caldera
blast wavevacuum
Absence of matter
implosion · suction · negative pressure · rarefaction · decompression
blast wavefireball
Luminous meteor or explosion
thermal radiation · radiant heat · flash burn · light emission
blast wavestillness
Complete lack of motion
calm · static equilibrium · silence · tranquility · stasis