The perfect terrorist plot against the U.S. :Nuclear Tsunami

The perfect terrorist plot against the U.S. :Nuclear Tsunami

by Liv | Published on June 2nd, 2009, 12:42 pm | Life

So last night I'm watching the History channel and it's a show about mega-tsunamis. I love mega tsunamis. This particular one was an event that occurred in the Mediterranean seas about 6-8000 years ago. (BHL's objection already noted) The landslide of the side of a volcano dumped a land mass of the size of Manhattan island and as deep as the Empire State Building into the ocean creating a 165 foot wall of water raging across the ocean at 500 plus MPH.

Once again it creeps back in my mind about terrorism and natural phenomenon such as a giant tsunami. It was touched on in the movie "The Core", but I still wonder about the scientific significance of such an occurrence. I mean forget borders, what if a terrorist could trigger a tsunamic event with a small nuclear warhead?

The most perfect location is La Palma island off the coast of Spain, and is directly in-line with the east coast of the United States. There the Cumbre Vieja volcano has had major flank failure that's causing the face of the mountain to fall in to the ocean. The debated time table for the postulated failure could occur between now and the next 10,000 years. If it were to fail on it's own, it is estimated that a wall of water taller than the statue of liberty would come racing at the east coast of the United States at jet-liner speeds before slowing down and crashing into the seaboard and racing inland.

But I wonder, what if the situation was helped. One lonely left-over cold-era nuke set off by a terrorist deep with in a volcanic vein on the island of La Palma. With the right amount of scientific calculation, and a bit of luck it's possible that a single person, with a single bomb could wipe up the entire east coast of the united states.

For the record, I retain all movie rights to the script of "Nuclear Tsunami"....

Liv wrote:Once again it creeps back in my mind about terrorism and natural phenomenon such as a giant tsunami. It was touched on in the movie "The Core", but I still wonder about the scientific significance of such an occurrence. I mean forget borders, what if a terrorist could trigger a tsunamic event with a small nuclear warhead?

OMG. "The Core"? Nearly as scientifically realistic as "Event Horizon" and "Sunshine." Combined. :lol:

Regarding triggering a tsunami with a nuke... your scenario is MAYBE possible. But I expect it would take a derrick drilling for a week or so to deliver the device to the right spot. It's not something a terrorist would choose as his first option if he had a small nuke in his hands.

This was in the plot of Crichton's fear-mongering 'State of Fear" book. (more correctly termed "State of Denial')

Frankly the task of getting a nuke sufficiently far underground to cause the effect you are looking for is probably more difficult than delivering it in a container to a busy seaport in a US city.

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:
Liv wrote:Once again it creeps back in my mind about terrorism and natural phenomenon such as a giant tsunami. It was touched on in the movie "The Core", but I still wonder about the scientific significance of such an occurrence. I mean forget borders, what if a terrorist could trigger a tsunamic event with a small nuclear warhead?

OMG. "The Core"? Nearly as scientifically realistic as "Event Horizon" and "Sunshine." Combined.

Regarding triggering a tsunami with a nuke... your scenario is MAYBE possible. But I expect it would take a derrick drilling for a week or so to deliver the device to the right spot. It's not something a terrorist would choose as his first option if he had a small nuke in his hands.

Nah... you're still thinking of the latest Star Trek movie!

And since I've already changed the subject... why would you need to drill into the planet's core to drop a black hole device? I mean, wouldn't it be like horseshoes where you just have to be close? Just detonate it on the planet's surface and be done with it.

Why drill, couldn't you just use existing caves and perhaps dormant lava tubes?

BecauseHeLives wrote:
SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:
Liv wrote:Once again it creeps back in my mind about terrorism and natural phenomenon such as a giant tsunami. It was touched on in the movie "The Core", but I still wonder about the scientific significance of such an occurrence. I mean forget borders, what if a terrorist could trigger a tsunamic event with a small nuclear warhead?

OMG. "The Core"? Nearly as scientifically realistic as "Event Horizon" and "Sunshine." Combined.

Regarding triggering a tsunami with a nuke... your scenario is MAYBE possible. But I expect it would take a derrick drilling for a week or so to deliver the device to the right spot. It's not something a terrorist would choose as his first option if he had a small nuke in his hands.

Nah... you're still thinking of the latest Star Trek movie! And since I've already changed the subject... why would you need to drill into the planet's core to drop a black hole device? I mean, wouldn't it be like horseshoes where you just have to be close? Just detonate it on the planet's surface and be done with it.

Liv, stop watching the so-called history channel.

BHL, because of rules established in the narrative. If he had opened the black hole next to the planet, it would have just pulled it through like he and spock did.. By placing red matter in the planet's core, destruction was insured as it collapsed on itself (as his ship did at the end).

Sanjuro wrote:Liv, stop watching the so-called history channel.

But I'm out of Doctor Who and Torchwood discs!?!?

BecauseHeLives wrote: And since I've already changed the subject... why would you need to drill into the planet's core to drop a black hole device? I mean, wouldn't it be like horseshoes where you just have to be close? Just detonate it on the planet's surface and be done with it.

Dormant volcanoes are not particularly unstable. Exploding a nuke on the surface is not likely to do much except produce a large crater.

I think you might be better off exploding one on the sea floor off the California coast. No drilling required and even if you didn;t trigger an earthquake, I'd think the wave would be large enough to cause some brown trousers.

Sorry, you are too late. Somebody already made a movie about terrorists or blackmailers or somebody using nukes to destabilize that mountain and cause a Tsunami on the U.S. eastern coast. I don't know the name of it, but I was watching something and when it was over, the movie about the artifically caused tsunami came on. I was half asleep, so I don't know the name or stars, but I sort of remember that theme.

Questioner wrote:Sorry, you are too late. Somebody already made a movie about terrorists or blackmailers or somebody using nukes to destabilize that mountain and cause a Tsunami on the U.S. eastern coast. I don't know the name of it, but I was watching something and when it was over, the movie about the artifically caused tsunami came on. I was half asleep, so I don't know the name or stars, but I sort of remember that theme.

Oh yeah... well mine has John Barrowman in it!!!! nah-nah-nana-boo-boo!

Liv wrote:
Questioner wrote:Sorry, you are too late. Somebody already made a movie about terrorists or blackmailers or somebody using nukes to destabilize that mountain and cause a Tsunami on the U.S. eastern coast. I don't know the name of it, but I was watching something and when it was over, the movie about the artifically caused tsunami came on. I was half asleep, so I don't know the name or stars, but I sort of remember that theme.

Oh yeah... well mine has John Barrowman in it!!!! nah-nah-nana-boo-boo!

I KNOW I'm going to show my abysmal ignorance here, but who is John Barrowman?????

Questioner wrote:I KNOW I'm going to show my abysmal ignorance here, but who is John Barrowman?????

(GASP!!!!!) Oh dear God... The most beautiful, talented, wonderful man alive? John Barrowman would make even BHL turn gay!

Greensboring thread on John Barrowman.
Another one where I stood but inches from the God himself.

Here's his official site. His wiki.

To give a somewhat less breathless description.

He's a cute actor who played the bi-sexual Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and Torchwood.

And since this is worthless without pictures:

OMG.... as if the poster on my living room, dining room, kitchen, and bedroom weren't enough!!!!

God he's crackin hot!

Liv wrote:OMG.... as if the poster on my living room, dining room, kitchen, and bedroom weren't enough!!!!

God he's crackin hot!

Careful now Liv. You are going to make Shan jealous.

Shan isn't jealous.... we've both decided that if Jude Law and John Barrowman both showed up at our house at the same time, we're taking up a polyamorous relationship.

Liv wrote:Shan isn't jealous.... we've both decided that if Jude Law and John Barrowman both showed up at our house at the same time, we're taking up a polyamorous relationship.

Such naughties you two are!

What!!!! I mean come on just look at him!!!!

That said, my infatuation isn't sexual.... quite the opposite... I think it would be a blast to go to a Karaoke bar with him and sing show tunes.....

But he is eye candy....