Explosion phenomena and associated effects
Assessing the effects of an open-air gas explosion

An explosion can be defined as a sudden, more or less controlled release of energy. It is therefore considered to be a fast-kinetic hazard under the regulations governing Installations Classées pour la Protection de l'Environnement (ICPE).

It manifests itself mainly through the propagation, at high speed, of an overpressure wave commonly referred to as a "blast", but also through the presence of a short-lived fireball. The explosion is generally accompanied by projectiles, but the study of their effects is beyond the scope of this article.

Various physical phenomena can give rise to an explosion. The main ones are as follows:

• explosions caused by chemical...