Seismic-source energies of underground nuclear explosions

1972 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 763-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Perret
Keyword(s):  
Free Field ◽  
Seismic Source ◽  
Elastic Response ◽  
Seismic Sources ◽  
Porous Rocks ◽  
Seismic Region ◽  
Underground Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Total Energies

Abstract Records of particle velocity in the free-field geological environment near underground nuclear explosions may be interpreted to yield the energy flux at a measuring station near or within the region of elastic response of the rock. Such data from 21 events in several types of rock have yielded energy fluxes. Total energies associated with the motion propagated into the seismic region have been derived from all but seven of these. The total energies are a measure of the seismic-source strength, and the ratios of these energies to those released by the explosion are measures of the energy coupled into the Earth as seismic motion. Explosions in granite, dolomite, or wet tuff produce seismic sources of the order of 2 per cent of the explosively released energy. Similar explosions in porous rocks such as dry tuff and desert alluvium provide seismic sources an order of magnitude weaker than those in hard or wet rock.

Seismic source summary for U. S. underground nuclear explosions, 1961-1970

1971 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 1073-1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald L. Springer ◽  
Ross L. Kinnaman
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Source ◽  
Seismic Sources ◽  
Transmission Characteristics ◽  
Underground Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Nuclear Explosions ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Source Data ◽  
Surface Collapse

abstract A summary of information is presented for all announced U. S. underground nuclear explosions detonated during the 1961-1970 time period. The data include detonation times, locations, and depths of burial, as well as information about shot media and surface collapse (subsidence) phenomena. This summary is intended to furnish all available source data for studies of seismic sources, as well as studies of seismic transmission characteristics of the Earth.

Statistical analysis and interpretation of surface-wave anelastic attenuation data for the stable interior of North America

1975 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 1115-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Herrmann ◽  
Brian J. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Seismic Region ◽  
Period Range ◽  
Underground Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Confidence Levels ◽  
Anelastic Attenuation ◽  
Rapid Transition ◽  
Attenuation Values

Abstract As a byproduct of determining the source characteristics of some earthquakes and underground nuclear explosions, a body of fundamental-mode Rayleigh- and Love-wave anelastic attenuation values is available for propagation paths in the stable interior of North America in the 5- to 50-sec-period range. The anelastic attenuation values were obtained from four earthquakes occurring in the New Madrid seismic region, one earthquake in the northern Hudson Bay region, and three underground nuclear explosions in the western United States. In obtaining the anelastic attenuation data, a simple statistical test was applied to test the reliability of the observations. The anelastic attenuation coefficients are presented together with their 95 per cent confidence levels. A stochastic form of the Backus-Gilbert inverse formalism was applied to a subset of these data to yield a Qβ model for the stable interior of North America. The model is characterized by relatively low Qβ values for the upper crust and a rapid transition to much higher values for the lower crust.

Seismic source and transmission functions from underground nuclear explosions

1974 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 1275-1293
Author(s):  
Ola Dahlman
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Source ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Distance Curve ◽  
Underground Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Source Models ◽  
Function Models ◽  
Relative Differences

abstract A model is presented for the simultaneous detemination of the relative variation in transmission properties to different stations and of the relative differences between the seismic sources for closely spaced underground nuclear explosions recorded by a fixed seismological station network. The model is applied to short-period data reported from 24 globally distributed stations from 12 underground nuclear explosions with known yields at Nevada Test Site. The obtained transmission functions vary within a factor of 10 between the different stations and show a weak decrease with epicenter distance and little correlation with the Gutenberg amplitude-distance curve. The relative source functions for 10 explosions in tuff and rhyolite, with yields in the range 16 to 1,200 kt, are with good correlation proportional to explosion yield to 0.9. Two theoretical source-function models, one by Haskell (1967) and one by Mueller and Murphy (1971a), are compared with each other and they agree well for frequencies around 1 Hz and for yields in the range 3 to 300 kt. The Haskell model for tuff is modified to be more compatible with the models for salt, granite and alluvium. The Haskell model predicts stronger variation of the source functions with frequency and yield than the Mueller-Murphy model. The observed relative source functions are compared with the theoretical source functions obtained from the two source models. The agreement is fairly good but the relative decrease of the source functions at yields above 300 kt predicted by the theoretical models is not observed.

Seismic source summary for U.S. underground nuclear explosions, 1971-1973

1975 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald L. Springer ◽  
Ross L. Kinnaman
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Source ◽  
Underground Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Surface Collapse

abstract A summary of information is presented for all announced U.S. underground nuclear explosions detonated during the 1971-1973 time period. The data include detonation times, locations, and depths of burial, as well as information about shot media and surface collapse (subsidence) phenomena. This summary is an addendum to a previous publication which covered the period 1961-1970, and includes some additions and corrections to that work.

Review of seismic source models for underground nuclear explosions

1981 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 1249-1268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert P. Massé
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Source ◽  
Source Model ◽  
Underground Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Thrust Faulting ◽  
Seismic Source Models ◽  
Regional Source ◽  
Source Models ◽  
Strain Release ◽  
Wave Conversion

abstract A number of seismic source models for underground nuclear explosions have been developed over the past 2 decades. These models include the spherically symmetric compressional source model, the wave conversion source model, the tectonic strain release source model, the spall slapdown source model, and the near-regional source model. These model are reviewed in this study and are shown to be inconsistent with various geophysical data associated with underground nuclear explosions. In particular, the Rayleigh and Love wave signals generated by underground nuclear explosions have not been explained satisfactorily by any of these source models. To explain the observed explosion data, it may be necessary to model the explosion seismic source as a sequence of mechanisms producing seismic signals. These mechanisms all act within the first few seconds following the explosion detonation. One of the most important of these mechanisms is probably explosion-induced thrust faulting.

scholarly journals Examining the contribution of near real-time data for rapid seismic loss assessment of structures

2021 ◽  
pp. 147592172199621
Author(s):  
Enrico Tubaldi ◽  
Ekin Ozer ◽  
John Douglas ◽  
Pierre Gehl
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Damage Assessment ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Seismic Source ◽  
Seismic Damage ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Bridge Model ◽  
Seismic Damage Assessment

This study proposes a probabilistic framework for near real-time seismic damage assessment that exploits heterogeneous sources of information about the seismic input and the structural response to the earthquake. A Bayesian network is built to describe the relationship between the various random variables that play a role in the seismic damage assessment, ranging from those describing the seismic source (magnitude and location) to those describing the structural performance (drifts and accelerations) as well as relevant damage and loss measures. The a priori estimate of the damage, based on information about the seismic source, is updated by performing Bayesian inference using the information from multiple data sources such as free-field seismic stations, global positioning system receivers and structure-mounted accelerometers. A bridge model is considered to illustrate the application of the framework, and the uncertainty reduction stemming from sensor data is demonstrated by comparing prior and posterior statistical distributions. Two measures are used to quantify the added value of information from the observations, based on the concepts of pre-posterior variance and relative entropy reduction. The results shed light on the effectiveness of the various sources of information for the evaluation of the response, damage and losses of the considered bridge and on the benefit of data fusion from all considered sources.

scholarly journals Discriminating underground nuclear explosions leading to late-time radionuclide gas seeps

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan Robert Harp ◽  
Suzanne Michelle Bourret ◽  
Philip H. Stauffer ◽  
Ed Michael Kwicklis
Keyword(s):  
Late Time ◽  
Underground Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Gas Seeps
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