gigatons
/ˈɡɪɡəˌtʌnz/
noun
- A unit of explosive power equal to one billion tons of TNT, used especially for nuclear weapons.
- The largest nuclear bomb ever tested had a yield of about 50 megatons, far less than a gigaton.
- Scientists estimate that the asteroid impact released the energy of several gigatons of TNT.
- Modern arsenals contain enough warheads to deliver thousands of gigatons of explosive force.
- A unit of mass equal to one billion tons, used to measure large quantities like carbon emissions or ice melt.
- To meet climate goals, we need to reduce emissions by several gigatons over the next decade.
- The Greenland ice sheet loses around 200 gigatons of ice annually.
- Global carbon dioxide emissions now exceed 35 gigatons per year.