Tsunami Bomb

From April to August of 1958, the United States detonated as many nuclear bombs in the Pacific Proving Grounds as had been fired in all prior tests in the region. One of them was the massive Umbrella nuclear blast that took place in Bikini Lagoon on June 9. The 8-kiloton underwater explosion was part of a major series of nuclear experiments known as Operation Hardtack, which was not merely concerned with the development of atomic weapons. Impressive footage from the event shows a colossal column rising into the skies and reaching a top height of 5,000 feet only 20 seconds after detonation. Indeed, the test had given both the Department of Defense and the Atomic Energy Commission a vital clue, not only about the weapons but also about radioactivity and its consequences. And it was not what they had expected…

Credit Dark Footage