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Guidelines for Surface Explosions

2. (Maybe off topic) how does that change for Earth surface curvature? I am working on one calculation (possible redux) that may involve such and I think I have a model for that.
Not exactly sure how the earth's curvature would change the yield of the explosion tho. It'd be just basic pixel-scaling at that point using the new curvature formula we've been using since last year.
 
Adding pre-computed values from the existing formulas seem uncontroversial.

The 20psi revision you suggest on the other hand is probably more controversial. I mean, usually we measure not the shockwave since comics and stuff often don't really show it. We usually scale the area inside the fireball or what you want to call it for energy beam explosions and then go with the reasoning that inside this area every human would certainly have died and hence the "near-total fatalities"-value applies (which is 20 psi).
If you have an explosion where you scale the shockwave and a human might actually survive in that distance, I guess using the other values makes sense.
 
So I believe you suggests that for explosions with no real point of reference (like causing destruction or causing death) we consider the fireball as the 20 psi point, isn't it? Isn't the fireball radius considerable different than the 20 psi one according to online calculators?

Guess you agree with explosions that do not fit the destructive criteria at certain distance to use a different overpressure value, even if there's no proof that the explosions would or not kill every human within the radius, right?
 
Adding pre-computed values from the existing formulas seem uncontroversial.

The 20psi revision you suggest on the other hand is probably more controversial. I mean, usually we measure not the shockwave since comics and stuff often don't really show it. We usually scale the area inside the fireball or what you want to call it for energy beam explosions and then go with the reasoning that inside this area every human would certainly have died and hence the "near-total fatalities"-value applies (which is 20 psi).
If you have an explosion where you scale the shockwave and a human might actually survive in that distance, I guess using the other values makes sense.
That’s true, it is usually implied that anything within the fireball itself gets destroyed, but in cases where it doesn’t, I guess that should use a different PSI?
 
What if we just use airblast for that? Even if it's a ground blast, it should still be more accurate since that formula doesn't use PSI, so it's better then guessing. Maybe. Idk
 
The airburst equation does use overpressure, but is already considered into the equation (20 psi); the more simplified equation for airburst is yet unknown.
 
So I believe you suggests that for explosions with no real point of reference (like causing destruction or causing death) we consider the fireball as the 20 psi point, isn't it? Isn't the fireball radius considerable different than the 20 psi one according to online calculators?
The 20psi radius is usually much larger, so it would at least be a low end, I think.

But it often is less about the fireball itself than about the fact that we can be fairly certain that a normal human would have died in that radius.

Guess you agree with explosions that do not fit the destructive criteria at certain distance to use a different overpressure value, even if there's no proof that the explosions would or not kill every human within the radius, right?
If we can't assume that near-total fatalities apply for some reason, then another psi value fitting the destruction should be used.
As often in fiction, whether near-total fatalities should be assumed is a pro vs con issue. If there is a lack of destruction where destruction should be that's a big con. But there could be pro's to consider to counter that.
 
Hm, would need to check a calculator to confirm that, although my pc is ruined and my attemp of laptop do not leave me enter few sites. If that relationship between fireball and explosion is true then I guess I would have no problem assuming such a thing, although its imortant to notice that not all fireballs are explosions, thos ethat carries almost no pressure are combustions and should use other equation to determinate the yield.
 
Adding pre-computed values from the existing formulas seem uncontroversial.

The 20psi revision you suggest on the other hand is probably more controversial. I mean, usually we measure not the shockwave since comics and stuff often don't really show it. We usually scale the area inside the fireball or what you want to call it for energy beam explosions and then go with the reasoning that inside this area every human would certainly have died and hence the "near-total fatalities"-value applies (which is 20 psi).
If you have an explosion where you scale the shockwave and a human might actually survive in that distance, I guess using the other values makes sense.
Back to the 20 psi thing:

I do not know if it is any good, but a 20 psi overpressure actually represents a "heavy blast damage radius" or "near-total fatality radius" while a true "fireball radius" is effectively "liquifying/pulverising/vaporising radius" and is significantly a much smaller radius. While a 5 psi can still make up for a "moderate blast damage radius" and buildings can still be fragmented and organisms hurt or killed, and a 1 psi radius or the so-called At around 1 psi, glass windows can still be expected to break but is already but an explosion with a certain yield, if having a certain "heavy blast damage radius", will have a much larger "light blast damage radius radius". (Source: primarily nukemap, but a wiki page about a nuclear explosion states something similar)

I wonder if it would be good if we add in the 5 psi and the 1 psi part for describing an explosion having a smaller damage to surroundings.
 
Bump

I see adding the table yield/radius table is uncontroversial, but we haven't reach a clear conclusion about using different overpressure values.
 
Btw, I updated the blog, expanded it with few additional guidelines such not using the equation for combustions or AoE attacks that carries little or no pressure, and few examples of what should be used the equations. Also removed the relationship of heat and pressure, that the 0.4-0.5 hasn't beed really confirmed.
 
I see adding the table yield/radius table is uncontroversial, but we haven't reach a clear conclusion about using different overpressure values.
Btw, I updated the blog, expanded it with few additional guidelines such not using the equation for combustions or AoE attacks that carries little or no pressure, and few examples of what should be used the equations. Also removed the relationship of heat and pressure, that the 0.4-0.5 hasn't beed really confirmed.

@Amelia_Lonelyheart @Armorchompy @KLOL506 @DemonGodMitchAubin @DontTalkDT @KieranH10 @TheRustyOne @DragonGamerZ913 @Migue79 @Jasonsith

What do you think about this?
 
Very well, if there's no objections and people seems to agree, perhaps the guideline should already be created, or maybe expand the former explosion ones. What do you think it would be the best, @Antvasima?
 
I do not remember enough of this discussion, and calculations are not my area anymore nowadays, so I usually defer to what @DontTalkDT and the calc group members think is best.
 
Men, sure the bureaucratic methods to get stuff accepted/rejected has slowed down lately... Could you @Antvasima at least paste the last table of the blog (AP/radius relationship one) in the Explosion Surface guideline?
 
Men, sure the bureaucratic methods to get stuff accepted/rejected has slowed down lately... Could you @Antvasima at least paste the last table of the blog (AP/radius relationship one) in the Explosion Surface guideline?
Hmmmmm, where should it be pasted? In the Explosion Yield Calculations page? If so, where?
 
Have DontTalkDT and our calc group members accepted this revision? If so, I can unlock the relevant page for you to edit.
 
Men, sure the bureaucratic methods to get stuff accepted/rejected has slowed down lately... Could you @Antvasima at least paste the last table of the blog (AP/radius relationship one) in the Explosion Surface guideline?
Anyway, the general problem here is that I have ADHD and constantly switch between hundreds of different revisions from day to day, so I cannot properly keep track of the contents of the more complicated ones, and don't want to accidentally mess up our mathematical instruction pages.

Also, my experience is that it is safest if DontTalk has the final say regarding said instruction pages.
 
Have DontTalkDT and our calc group members accepted this revision? If so, I can unlock the relevant page for you to edit.
The other group members and I have accepted it as per the above comments. Not sure about DT, prolly should ask him again, since we'll need him to help out with the edits anyway.

I'm a bit busy ATM tho so I don't think I'll be able to help out with the edits for a while.
 
At the very list DontTalkDT accepted the part with using the explosion radius estimations from the blog, that I consider it should be added to the Explosion Radius/Area page. He has no longer commented about the part about the use of overpressure based in the destruction caused by the explosion, but the rest of the calc members seems to be fine with it.
 
Okay. Thank you for the replies.

@DontTalkDT

Would you be willing to apply the revisions that you consider acceptable based on this thread please?
 
I can unlock the relevant page, if you link to and are willing to edit it.
 
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