--- title: "US Navy Sets Off Giant Explosion That Registers as 3.9 Magnitude Earthquake" description: "The US Navy detonated 40,000 pounds worth of explosives right next to a a warship to make sure it can weather battle conditions." date: "2021-06-21" modified: "2021-06-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/navy-giant-explosion-earthquake" categories: - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "aircraft carriers" - "explosives" - "the digest" - "US Navy" --- # US Navy Sets Off Giant Explosion That Registers as 3.9 Magnitude Earthquake ![The US Navy detonated 40,000 pounds worth of explosives right next to a a warship to make sure it can weather battle conditions.]() *\Image: US Navy/Jackson Adkins\* ## Big Boom The US Navy detonated 40,000 pounds worth of explosives right next to a a warship to make sure it can withstand battle conditions β€” and the aerial footage picked up by a nearby helicopter is unreal. The explosion was so massive, in fact, that it registered as a 3.9 magnitude earthquake about 100 miles away on the coast of Florida, as [*ABC Australia* reports](). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDDohTHEfOI The intentional explosion was part of a June 18 "Full Ship Shock Trial" in the Atlantic ocean. Twenty metric tons of explosives were set off within spitting distance of the USS Gerald R Ford, one of the longest aircraft carriers in the world β€” a shocking display of military might that offers at tiny glimpse of what an all-out war might look like in 2021. ## Shock Trials The carrier is over 250 feet high and over 1,000 feet long, just shy of three football fields back to back. It was scheduled for three explosions, but may only end up experiencing only two, [according to *USNI News*](). "The US navy conducts shock trials of new ship designs using live explosives to confirm that our warships can continue to meet demanding mission requirements under harsh conditions they might encounter in battle," the Navy said in a statement, as quoted by *ABC*. "The first-in-class aircraft carrier was designed using advanced computer modelling methods, testing, and analysis to ensure the ship is hardened to withstand battle conditions, and these shock trials provide data used in validating the shock hardness of the ship," the Navy continued. Officials maintain that the massive shockwave complied with "environmental mitigation requirements" and respected "known migration patterns of marine life in the test area," according to the statement. After undergoing the trials, the ship will return to a dry dock to undergo modernization, maintenance, and repairs, [according to the *BBC*]() β€” a well-deserved recovery. **READ MORE:** [US Navy uses 40,000lb explosive to test warship in 'Full Ship Shock Trial']() \[*BBC*\] **More on the Navy:** *[NASA Head Says He’s Talked to Pilots Who Encountered UFOs]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()