system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[ELI5] What part of an explosion causes an EMP? - Does it have to be nuclear or would a large enough explosion do it?
gpt
A nuclear detonation produces a large amout of extremely high energy photons (light) called gamma radiation.

Those gamma photons are powerful enough to rip electrons from a large number of surrounding air molecules in a very small space.

That sudden massive electrical charge imbalance in the upper atmosphere generates a very brief but extremely powerful EMP.

Chemical explosives (i.e. Regular bombs) don't have a gamma component and do not generate any meaningful magnetic interference.