Underground Nuclear Explosion Makes the Ground 'Disappear' in Seconds

Nuclear-weapon countries choose relatively "safe" places to conduct their tests: sometimes it's in an extremely remote place, like a desert, at other times it's exploding a warhead at the bottom of the sea, and, as in the video above, the explosion happens deep within the earth.

When the latter option is chosen, so-called "nesting craters" form - which means, in other words, that the ground basically collapses in a matter of seconds and a huge hole is formed after the bomb explodes. It looks like a bizarre special effect, as if the earth is being consumed by an internal black hole, but it can be impressive at the same time.

Underground explosions were very common during the 1960s and 1970s - with some tests being conducted in recent years - and are designed in this way to prevent radioactive materials from being scattered into the atmosphere. The extreme pressure and temperature of the blast causes the nearby rocks to evaporate, forming a space that "swallows" the earth over it.

Which type of nuclear test is most impressive: on or within the earth? Comment on the Mega Curious Forum