[PIF]

What?

—
there’s a conspiracy theory going around that some one saw or filmed something being dropped into the crater just before it blew and since the blast is cited by these same people to have been 10MT, they assume it was a nuclear weapon. Not a scientific package.

And despite the hype here, the eruption was only a 4-5 on the VEI - relatively minor.

[IYAS9YAS]

there’s a conspiracy theory going around that some one saw or filmed something being dropped into the crater just before it blew and since the blast is cited by these same people to have been 10MT, they assume it was a nuclear weapon. Not a scientific package.

Yeah. Okay, a nuke and not one nation's sensors for radiation picked anything up? Alrightythen.

[BenLurkin]

It is difficult to understand the mentality of anyone who would entertain (let alone embrace) that particular consipiracy theory.

Very difficiult.

[KarlInOhio]

Is Xenu up to his old tricks of trying to clear out the overpopulated Galaxy?

[crz]

“was only a 4-5 on the VEI”

They dont know that yet. But it wasnt as huge as many believe.

Lots of discussion about the size yet among the volcanologists.
It was definitely a phreatic event that set it off.

Abt 400,000 tons of SO2 in first estimates.

[GOPJ]

And despite the hype here, the eruption was only a 4-5 on the VEI - relatively minor.

True. But because a lot of steam was released - it made for a great big satellite picture - and really, isn't that all that matters? /s

[DrGunsforHands]

Yeah, I saw that. Nearly as dumb as Biden. Each frame is at least 5 minutes apart, so it would have taken 15+ minutes to fall. It was smoke from the volcano. Also, I read it was VEI 6.

[JustaTech]

The Tonga magma chamber itself represented far more explosive power than any nuke in inventory. Therefore the objective of using a warhead would be solely to initiate a release from the magma chamber. A nuke may not be required if you can reach the magma chamber with a conventional warhead on a bunker buster and basically breach nature’s containment.

These breaches occur naturally of course, we call them eruptions. In either case the breach eventually seals up and the eruption episode ends, sooner or later.

The fascinating question none of us can definitively answer is exactly how deep into the earth can we deliver a warhead? Or more precisely, how deep can we deliver the effects of a warhead?

The next fascinating question is why would someone do this to Tonga? Just as a demonstration/test? Or was there a fear that his particular magma chamber was developing the potential to devastate a huge area unless it was pre-emptively pricked?