Convert Megatons of TNT to Gigajoules

Convert Megatons of TNT (Mt(TNT)) to Gigajoules (GJ) instantly and accurately.

Conversion Formula

GJ = Mt(TNT) × 4184000

About Megatons of TNT

A megaton of TNT (Mt(TNT)) = 10⁶ tons of TNT = exactly 4.184 PJ. The Soviet Tsar Bomba (1961) yielded ~50 Mt - the largest human-made explosion ever, with a fireball 8 km in diameter. Castle Bravo (1954) yielded ~15 Mt, 2.5× its 6 Mt design yield. Modern thermonuclear warheads typically range from 0.1-1.2 Mt. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake released ~500 Mt in seismic energy. The Krakatoa 1883 eruption released ~200 Mt; Tambora 1815 ~33,000 Mt. 1 Mt(TNT) = 4.184 PJ = 1,162,800 MWh.

About Gigajoules

A gigajoule (GJ) is 10⁹ J - the scale of fossil-fuel commodity volumes. One barrel of crude oil contains ~5.80 GJ; one metric tonne of hard coal ~29.3 GJ. Canadian energy bills express household consumption in GJ: average Canadian households use ~100-130 GJ/year. A 1 GW power plant at 33% efficiency burns ~10.9 GJ/h of fuel to generate 1 GWh = 3.6 GJ of electricity. Detonation of 1 tonne of TNT releases 4.184 GJ. 1 GJ = 10⁹ J = 277.78 kWh = 947,817 BTU = 9.4782 therms.

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