Beirut port explosion (2020) vs Little Boy — Hiroshima (1945)
The 2020 Beirut port explosion, caused by stored ammonium nitrate, is often compared to Hiroshima. Estimates put Beirut between 0.3 and 1.1 kt (0.5 kt is used here), against about 15 kt for Little Boy: the Hiroshima bomb was on the order of thirty times larger — between fourteen and fifty depending on which Beirut estimate you take. A chemical explosion also produces no radiation.
Beirut port explosion (2020) · 500 t — Little Boy — Hiroshima (1945) · 15 kt
Little Boy — Hiroshima (1945) releases 30 times more energy than Beirut port explosion (2020)
Little Boy — Hiroshima (1945) equals 1 times Hiroshima
Beirut port explosion (2020) (blue)
Little Boy — Hiroshima (1945) (red)
Blast radius scales with the cube root of energy: the larger circle is about 3.1 times wider. Relative scale only — no real distances or damage estimates.
Full scale (logarithmic)
Each step multiplies the energy; on a linear scale a grenade would vanish next to the Tsar Bomba. Tap a row to set it as B.
* Estimated, approximate or disputed figure. Yields of weapons in service are not official unless stated.
Figures used and how reliable they are
- Beirut port explosion (2020)*: 500 t. Ammonium nitrate accident; estimates range 0.3–1.1 kt.
- Little Boy — Hiroshima (1945): 15 kt. Commonly cited official estimate: about 15 kt.
* Beirut port explosion (2020): estimated or disputed figure; it does not come from a verifiable official data sheet and should be read as indicative.
Related comparisons
Compare any other pair in the explosive yield comparison, with its full method. More context: Military history · Weapons · All tools
Sources / References
- U.S. Department of Energy, Manhattan Project history (Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
- U.S. Air Force GBU-43/B MOAB fact sheet.
- U.S. Army ammunition technical manuals (M67, M107).
- Atomic Archive and Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (nuclear tests).