The Ever Given is 200,000 tons of mostly steel. Steel takes 1.4×10^9 J per ton to melt.
The MOAB is 21,000 lbs, containing 18,500 lbs of explosive, with a reported cost of $170k. It has a yield of 4.6 x 10^10 joules.
The MOAB is 21,000 lbs, containing 18,500 lbs of explosive, with a reported cost of $170k. It has a yield of 4.6 x 10^10 joules.
https://twitter.com/moritheil/status/1375554632991313921
Theoretically the explosive contents of 2 MOABs could be placed as charges, enabling the military to blast most of the ship up into the air. The wreckage would then rain down outside the canal.
This would cost only $300,000 for materials, and maybe $3 million in labor.
However!
This would cost only $300,000 for materials, and maybe $3 million in labor.
However!
As an astute reader points out, the canal is not built to handle explosions of this magnitude.
It might simply create an artificial salt lake, but it might also do many other things. At this point geological surveys get involved.
It might simply create an artificial salt lake, but it might also do many other things. At this point geological surveys get involved.
https://twitter.com/raptros_/status/1375558049134415875
While we're at it - to fully turn every bit of the Ever Given into molten slag rather than just blasting it up in the air would require ~6,100 MOABs, which in my understanding is more than the armies of the world have in stock.
It could certainly be done with massed nuclear weapons, but "nuke the Suez Canal because it's blocked" does not qualify as getting the canal functional in a timely fashion.
Congratulations, humanity.
You have managed to build boats so big that you can't fully destroy them without resorting to nukes.
You have managed to build boats so big that you can't fully destroy them without resorting to nukes.
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