[Robert A Cook PE]

Port Chicago, Mount Hood, Robert Rowans, and Black Tom pier (all massive ship explosions) I did not realize that the Port Chicago ammo ship blast was used by the Manhatten Project to estimate their nuke warhead blast dynamics.

Rowans is the only one in the Med: it's the most likely culprit since the others were after dark (US-based Black Tom Pier and Port Chicago), at sea (SS Luckenback) or sudden - no warning - events unlikely to have been photo'ed.

Reference:

http://www.portchicago.org/lastwave/chapters/LastWave_Ch8.pdf

[patton]

You would be surprised what events we use to validate models (ie, Mt. Saint Helens)