Quote:
Originally Posted by will1530
Mushroom clouds aren't unique to nuclear bombs.
eta: I believe the Hiroshima bomb created a mushroom cloud up to 40k ft (I'm also pretty sure Hiroshima was detonated in the air instead of on impact, so I'm not sure exactly how impressive that number is.)
Most nuclear weapons are designed to be detonated hundreds of feet above ground. It ensures the blast wave spreads out on the ground rather than creating a big crater and throwing most of the force up into the air.
And yea, any large explosion can create a shockwave and mushroom cloud.