Saturday 23 July 2011

Now THAT'S An Explosion ...

Many years ago when I was taking the Queen's Shilling, I used to gaze long and hard at aerial photography from 'various sources' for 'various purposes'. These days, thanks to Google Earth et al, we all get to see the stuff.

Now: in amongst the other momentous events of recent times, it may or may not have come to your attention that a tragic explosion occurred at Zygi in Cyprus a few days ago - details here.

And what an explosion it was: take a butcher's at this. Get the cursor-line over to the right-hand side of the photo, then drag it slowly to the left.

To orient yourself with what has happened, scroll down and take the wrecked bottom-left fuel tank as clock-centre, then pan out to 8 o'clock looking for a faint circle, in level ground, of about the same radius as the tank.

That didn't used to be level ground ...

After you've marveled at the destruction (sorry, but it's human nature - and I've seen worse), marvel at something else: see how the row of chimney-stacks (one big and four small, directly below the fuel tanks, given away by the shadows they throw) have survived where all else has been demolished. That's because blast-waves equalise around things of circular cross-section. It always surprises people.

ND

10 comments:

Scan said...

Excellent post ND, but you're going have to tell me...why do blast waves equalise around things with a circular cross-section?

Timbo614 said...

That didn't used to be level ground ... there was building there. Now it looks like an impact crater :(

What the hell(as) happened ... Ah explosives store.

Electro-Kevin said...

Cyprus looks like that in many areas. My in-laws live there. I thought it was a bit of a dump on the whole.

Elby the Beserk said...

Whoops.

These before and after images are striking; those from the Japanese Tsunami horrifying. Will they be able to do these for before and after the Euro?

James Higham said...

Bit of physics there.

Nick Drew said...

Scan - as James says, a bit of physics: from whatever direction the blast wave is coming, it will split equally either side of a circular obstacle (compare this effect to a wing effect which is designed to have the oncoming air split unequally on either side of the leading edge, causing lower pressure on one side)

Elby - yes I am sure there will be places around Euroland where the destruction will be visible from outer space ...

(possibly hellas indeed, Timbo. Bit, hmm, unfair, Kev ?)

Electro-Kevin said...

I was glad to be back in Blighty. Got fed up with the sight of rusty tractor parts and unfinished buildings.

Demetrius said...

Are you taking the APIS?

Nick Drew said...

Hey, Demetrius, yes indeed I am!

Anonymous said...

E-K: ".. and unfinished buildings .."

When I first stayed in Paphos it was at the Venus Beach hotel, claimed to be 5* but was really 2+* at the time.

Anyway, they made a big thing of the 'tombs of the kings', on the first night we sat on the balcony and over on the left caught a glimps of what I imagined would turn out in the morning to be one of the tombs.

In actual fact it was somebodys house, apparently they never finish the top story as there is some tax advantage to not putting the roof on the house.