The earthquake bomb, or seismic bomb, was a concept that was invented by the British aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis early in World War II and subsequently developed and used during the war against strategic targets in Europe. The most notable earthquake bombs developed by Wallis was the Tallboy and Grand Slam.
The earthquake bomb differs somewhat in concept from traditional aircraft-borne bombs, which usually explode at or near the surface, and destroy their target directly by explosive force. By contrast, an earthquake bomb is dropped from very high altitude to gain very high speed, and upon impact penetrates and explodes deep underground, causing massive caverns or craters as well a...