An upper limit to Star Destroyer firepower?

[Lucky]

Would it be possible to find out the upper limit of Imperial Star Destroyer fire power by figuring out the radius of the shield the Rebels used on Hoth, and then figuring out how much TNT would be needed to cause an Earthquake powerful enough to bring down the base?

The shield the Rebels put up would have to cover an area so large that no known Imperial weapon would be able to harm the rather fragile Hoth base that seemed to be falling apart from the AT-AT just walking near it. We also know that personal scale blasters, vehicle scale blasters, and turbolasers easily tunnel and then explode.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_bomb

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_(bomb)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallboy_(bomb)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_magnitude_scale

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?c ... 2&faqID=33

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/mag_vs_int.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNT_equivalent

Could you not do something similar to figure out an upper limit to how powerful the bombs the TIE bombers dropped were? The bombs the TIE bombers dropped had to be quite powerful for those in the Falcon just to be heard.

[Lucky]

Would it be possible to find out the upper limit of Imperial Star Destroyer fire power by figuring out the radius of the shield the Rebels used on Hoth, and then figuring out how much TNT would be needed to cause an Earthquake powerful enough to bring down the base?

The shield the Rebels put up would have to cover an area so large that no known Imperial weapon would be able to harm the rather fragile Hoth base that seemed to be falling apart from the AT-AT just walking near it. We also know that personal scale blasters, vehicle scale blasters, and turbolasers easily tunnel and then explode.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_bomb

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_(bomb)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallboy_(bomb)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_magnitude_scale

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?c ... 2&faqID=33

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/mag_vs_int.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNT_equivalent

Could you not do something similar to figure out an upper limit to how powerful the bombs the TIE bombers dropped were? The bombs the TIE bombers dropped had to be quite powerful for those in the Falcon just to be heard.

So no one knows how to calculate the firepower needed?

Does anyone even know the radius of the shield on Hoth?

[Kor_Dahar_Master]

Would it be possible to find out the upper limit of Imperial Star Destroyer fire power by figuring out the radius of the shield the Rebels used on Hoth, and then figuring out how much TNT would be needed to cause an Earthquake powerful enough to bring down the base?

The shield the Rebels put up would have to cover an area so large that no known Imperial weapon would be able to harm the rather fragile Hoth base that seemed to be falling apart from the AT-AT just walking near it. We also know that personal scale blasters, vehicle scale blasters, and turbolasers easily tunnel and then explode.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_bomb

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_(bomb)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallboy_(bomb)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_magnitude_scale

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?c ... 2&faqID=33

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/mag_vs_int.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNT_equivalent

Could you not do something similar to figure out an upper limit to how powerful the bombs the TIE bombers dropped were? The bombs the TIE bombers dropped had to be quite powerful for those in the Falcon just to be heard.

So no one knows how to calculate the firepower needed?

Does anyone even know the radius of the shield on Hoth?

The base was in or near a mountain i believe so the shield would have almost had to have covered that plus the trenches on the ground ect.

I will look up some mountains to see how large the diameters are and go from that i suppose.

[Lucky]

The base was in or near a mountain i believe so the shield would have almost had to have covered that plus the trenches on the ground ect.

I will look up some mountains to see how large the diameters are and go from that i suppose.

What mountain are you talking about? The entire base seems to be carved into a glacier with some prefabricated rooms, doors, lighting, and wiring added. Some of the tunnels and rooms are so close to the surface that they are letting natural light in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6uQ1ROQm0k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhpS69eAXrU
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I understand that the farther something is from the focus/blast the less energy will reach the target, in other words the Inverse Square Law comes into play. I am not sure how to use it, but I know it applies to this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse-square_law

A bomb exploding has affects comparable to an Earthquake, and this fact was the reason things like the Grand Slam bombs were made. It is not alway practical to attack a target from above because of defenses like the Hoth shield, but the sheild or in the real world armor(often reenforced concrete) only protect from attack from above. Causing the Earth to shake it's self apart is the tactic of choices in these cases.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Mm-zFW ... re=related

The shield at Hoth had to have a radius large enough that the weapons the Imperials would likely have would not be able to bring down base by simply hitting just outside the shield. The Rebels could not count on the Empire wanting them alive.

Magnitude
Es (from Me)
Es (from Ms or Mw)
Tons of TNT
Nuclear Bomb Equivalence (# of bombs)
4
0.22E+11
0.63E+11
15.
0.00
5
0.71E+12
0.20E+13
475.
0.02
6
0.22E+14
0.63E+14
15023.
0.79
7
0.71E+15
0.20E+16
475063.
25.0
8
0.22E+17
0.63E+17
15022833.
790.6
9
0.71E+18
0.20E+19
475063712.
25,003.3

Magnitude / Intensity Comparison
The following table gives intensities that are typically observed at locations near the epicenter of earthquakes of different magnitudes.
Magnitude
Typical Maximum
Modified Mercalli Intensity
1.0 - 3.0
I
3.0 - 3.9
II - III
4.0 - 4.9
IV - V
5.0 - 5.9
VI - VII
6.0 - 6.9
VII - IX
7.0 and higher
VIII or higher
Abbreviated Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale
I. Not felt except by a very few under especially favorable conditions.
II. Felt only by a few persons at rest, especially on upper floors of buildings.
III. Felt quite noticeably by persons indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings. Many people do not recognize it as an earthquake. Standing motor cars may rock slightly. Vibrations similar to the passing of a truck. Duration estimated.
IV. Felt indoors by many, outdoors by few during the day. At night, some awakened. Dishes, windows, doors disturbed; walls make cracking sound. Sensation like heavy truck striking building. Standing motor cars rocked noticeably.
V. Felt by nearly everyone; many awakened. Some dishes, windows broken. Unstable objects overturned. Pendulum clocks may stop.
VI. Felt by all, many frightened. Some heavy furniture moved; a few instances of fallen plaster. Damage slight.
VII. Damage negligible in buildings of good design and construction; slight to moderate in well-built ordinary structures; considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures; some chimneys broken.
VIII. Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable damage in ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse. Damage great in poorly built structures. Fall of chimneys, factory stacks, columns, monuments, walls. Heavy furniture overturned.
IX. Damage considerable in specially designed structures; well-designed frame structures thrown out of plumb. Damage great in substantial buildings, with partial collapse. Buildings shifted off foundations.
X. Some well-built wooden structures destroyed; most masonry and frame structures destroyed with foundations. Rails bent.
XI. Few, if any (masonry) structures remain standing. Bridges destroyed. Rails bent greatly.
XII. Damage total. Lines of sight and level are distorted. Objects thrown into the air.
From The Severity of an Earthquake.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_ma ... e#Examples
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It's rather odd you get into vaporize a small town territory when you start being able to cause the equivalent of magnatude sixish and sevenish.