noun
- an explosion of a bomb or missile that detonates on or near the ground surface, as opposed to in the air
Usage: military/technical term; often used in contrast to airburst
Examples
- The military distinguished between airbursts and groundbursts in their weapons analysis.
- A groundburst creates a large crater and spreads radioactive fallout over a wider area.
- The test involved measuring the effects of a groundburst explosion.
- Groundbursts are more likely to cause structural damage to buildings than airbursts.
- The report analyzed the difference in blast radius between a groundburst and an airburst.