Electromagnetic pulse (EMP)

An EMP is a sudden disturbance in the Earth's magnetic field that may last for less than a microsecond. EMP's induce voltages across power lines that may lead to large currents and extensive damage.

Magnetosphere - solar wind from the left.

Detonating a hydrogen bomb in the magnetosphere (1962) generated an EMP that did widespread damage in Hawaii - and would have caused damage over 1000 km radius had it been detonated over Nevada. Further nuclear testing in space was abandoned, they went underground.

EMP weapons are field-compression devices.

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