Beirut Lebanon Explosion: Why Deadly Blast Wave Spread Destruction Kilometres Away
Over 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate was stored inappropriately (since nearly six years) in a rather unsafe manner.
Yesterday the city of Beirut witnessed one of the worst catastrophes ever experienced by the nation of Lebanon. The cause of the blast was a highly reactive chemical by the name of Ammonium Nitrate -- commonly used to make fertilizers as well as explosives.
Reuters
Over 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate was stored inappropriately (since nearly six years) in a rather unsafe manner, resulting in an explosion that sent up a huge mushroom cloud-shaped blast wave, destroying life and property in its way.
The Beirut Lebanon blast that shook the world
Videos all over the internet show us the intensity of the explosion. It all started with fire burning orange smoke into the sky. However in no time this explosion intensified and the rest is clearly evident in the video below.
This is such a horrible disaster. #PrayForLebanon#Beirut pic.twitter.com/zVrcgFi50b
¡ª Koshur bella ciao ? (@BaasitShah) August 5, 2020
The intensity was such that it registered as a 3.3 magnitude earthquake in the capital. Ammonium nitrate is regarded as a high-order explosive that when reacts, is known to create blast waves.
The Beirut Lebanon blast wave
When any explosive detonates, the blast wave is caused by the sudden change in air pressure because of the explosive's energy release. The increased pressure and flow resulting from the deposition of a large amount of energy in a small, very localised volume. This wave, when it comes in contact with any surface, a part of it is transmitted, part of it is absorbed, and part of it is reflected.
The best description of what happened in #Beirut ¡°what the actual eff!?¡± ?pic.twitter.com/SLEq7EV0L1
¡ª JoPrem (@JoPrem1) August 5, 2020
The blast wave can be more deadly than the blast itself
This is because while an explosion occurs in a certain location, the blast wave can cause catastrophe miles further from the epicentre. This is due to the constructive interference pattern of the blast wave.
In physics, interference is the fusion of two correlated waves and either increasing or reducing the net amplitude, depending on whether it is constructive (increasing) or destructive (reducing) interference.
When the crest of a wave meets a crest of another wave at the same point, they interfere constructively causing a spike in the amplitude of the resulting crest -- forming a much more powerful wave than either of the beginning waves. Similarly, two troughs make a trough of increased amplitude. However, if a trough interacts with a crest, it decreases the amplitude.
My heart goes for this African maid, who ignored her own life, and tried to safe her employer¡¯s child.
¡ª #JayShriRam (@Prashant007___) August 5, 2020
Not all angels have wings.#Beirut pic.twitter.com/ulTMgwKlqd
A mach stem is an instance of constructive interference. Whenever a blast wave hits off of a surface, like a wall or a vehicle, different reflected waves can interact to form constructive interference or destructive interference. Thus this can basically increase the impact of an already damaging blast wave.
Reuters
We¡¯ve already seen the damage caused by the blast wave, shared by people in Beirut. Moreover, this blastwave was also felt in Cyprus, over a hundred miles away from Beirut.
Our prayers go out to the people of Beirut.
