Below is an image of the Mushroom cloud from the detonation of Castle Bravo as seen from the Main Page as well as the diagram of a mushroom cloud. It shows the multiple condensation rings and several ice caps. A Mushroom cloud is a distinctive mushroom shaped flammagenitus cloud (fire cloud) of debris, smoke, and usually condensed water vapour from a large explosion. The effect is most commonly associated with a nuclear explosion however any sufficiently energetic detonation or deflagration will produce the same effect. Mushroom clouds are formed by many sorts of explosions under earth's gravity but are best known for their appearance after nuclear detonations. Without gravity or atmosphere the explosion would be spherical and Nuclear weapons are usually detonated above ground and not upon impact bacause some of the energy would be dissapated by ground motions in order to maximise the blast wave and fireball. Immeadiatly after exploding the fireball rises up into the air the same way a hot air balloon would. While inside the heat of the cloud the hot gases rotate in a tordial shape and when the detonation altitude is low enough the afterwinds would draw in dirt and debris from the area around forming the stem of the mushroom cloud. After the hot gas reaches it's equilibrium level the ascent stops and the clouds flatten to form the characteristic mushroom shape.
