What does the mushroom cloud mean?

Mushroom cloud, also known as mushroom cloud, refers to a powerful explosion cloud generated by the explosion, which is similar in shape to a mushroom, so it is named. There may be smoke, flames and sundries in the cloud. In modern times, it generally refers to the cloud formed after the explosion of nuclear weapons such as atomic bombs or hydrogen bombs. Volcanic eruption or celestial impact may also produce natural mushroom clouds.

Mushroom cloud is a large amount of low-pressure hot air that suddenly appears near the ground. Hot air rises rapidly, creating an outward downward vortex called "smoke cloud". At the same time, the vacuum state makes smoke and debris churn upward from the center, forming a "dust column" (mushroom handle). A large amount of gas finally reaches the same pressure as the surrounding air, and the rolled-up impurities are dispersed and drift downward.

The biggest mushroom cloud photographed appeared when Shoemaker-Levy 9 hit Jupiter. Mushroom clouds rise hundreds of kilometers above the clouds.