An explosion is defined as an extreme sudden and violent increase in and release of energy. A huge explosion like a bomb going off generates extreme temperature and releases a large amount of gas. The world’s biggest explosions generate the largest extreme shockwaves as well.

The largest explosions in the world are classified by type. These explosion types include natural – like volcanoes, chemical – like gunpowder, nuclear – which we’ll visit later, electrical – like lightening, vapor – as in BLEAVs (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion), astronomical, and mechanical, where a container will undergo a huge explosion because of extreme pressure from inside.

Huge bombs rely on chemical explosions. But the largest explosions are often seen from nuclear bombs, which rely on extreme nuclear explosions. But pipe bombs, while the explosion starts as chemical in nature, the most damage is done as the result of the bomb’s mechanical explosion and the extreme amount of shrapnel it creates.

The world’s largest and biggest explosions were created by huge bombs. But the two largest explosions the world has seen, while involving bombs, were actually planned tests rather than acts of war. The Minor Scale was a test conducted by the US Nuclear Agency. Minor Scale took place at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on June 27, 1985. Minor Scale involved almost 4.8 kilotons of ANFO explosives and was designed to simulate a nuclear explosion. Misty Picture was a similar test that followed two years later. Misty Picture provided researchers with shock wave data.

The record for the largest non-nuclear single explosion in history goes to Heligoland. At Heligoland, the British Royal Navy used the uninhabited German island to set off 6,800 tonnes of explosives. The largest explosion in history, nicknamed the Big Bang, was so huge that it actually shook the island several miles down its base and actually changed the shape of the island.

While that was one extreme explosion, the world’s largest non-nuclear accidental explosion occurred in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Halifax explosion occurred on Dec. 6, 1917 when the SS Mont Blanc, a French cargo ship carrying warheads collided with the Norwegian SS Imo in the Narrows. The resulting huge explosion killed over 2,000 people and injured another 9,000. All buildings and structures within 2 square kilometers (500 acres) of the biggest accidental explosion were obliterated. The explosion caused a Tsunami and shock wave that snapped trees, bent iron bridges, and carried debris for kilometers.

Two explosions in the US make the list of the worlds largest most extreme explosions. They are the Texas City Disaster and the Port Chicago Disaster.