# About 3–5 Mt, because the downward momentum of the fireball focused damage on the ground.

> Most likely: About 3–5 Mt, because the downward momentum of the fireball focused damage on the ground.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event/answers/ANS0D4ECGM61PBH/about-35-mt-because-the-downward-momentum-of-the-fireball  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[1908 Tunguska event](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event)[How much energy did the explosion release?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event/questions/QST0D4ECB0G12FX/how-much-energy-did-the-explosion-release)Answer

Answer · 1908 Tunguska event

# About 3–5 Mt, because the downward momentum of the fireball focused damage on the ground.

About 3–5 Mt, because the downward momentum of the fireball focused damage on the ground.

**Most likely** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Most likely** Its tests partly supported it: one piece of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Simulations with momentum transfer reproduce the tree fall with 3–5 Mt.

## What would rule it out

- Tree-fall and seismic fits that require more than 10 Mt even with momentum effects.

## Evidence 1 for · 1 against

[Hydrocode simulations including the fireball's momentum give 3–5 Mt.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event/evidence/EVD0D4ECGW00CW7/hydrocode-simulations-including-the-fireballs-momentum-give)

Suggestive

FOR

[Tree-resistance modelling finds 3 Mt a lower bound rather than a best estimate.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event/evidence/EVD0D4ECH3T0Z5N/tree-resistance-modelling-finds-3-mt-a-lower-bound-rather)

Suggestive

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[How much energy did the explosion release?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event/questions/QST0D4ECB0G12FX/how-much-energy-did-the-explosion-release)

Part of [What kind of body, if any, caused the Tunguska explosion?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event/questions/QST0D4ECARP6DFM/what-kind-of-body-if-any-caused-the-tunguska-explosion)

Most likelyAbout 10–15 Mt (range 10–40 Mt), from barograms, seismograms and forest damage scaled to nuclear tests

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). About 3–5 Mt, because the downward momentum of the fireball focused damage on the ground. [Answer ANS0D4ECGM61PBH]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0D4ECGM61PBH
```

Key

**ANS** 0D4ECGM61PBH

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

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