Explosive Misinformation: A Guide to Mushroom Clouds, ‘Sonic Weapons’ and Disintegration

### Executive summary This Bellingcat guide explains how different explosive munitions (notably thermobaric and Dense Inert Metal Explosives) behave and appear in video and imagery, outlines common misinterpretations and deliberate misinformation about weapon effects, and provides forensic indicators—such as shockwaves, cloud formation, smoke colour, and geolocation—that help analysts distinguish munition types and assess claims; it also summaries blast injury mechanisms and legal considerations under international humanitarian law.