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Discriminating Underground Nuclear Explosions Leading To Late-Time Radionuclide Gas Seeps

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl086654· OSTI ID:1650627
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
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Utilizing historical data from the U.S. nuclear test program and freely available barometric pressure data, we performed an analytical barometric-pumping efficiency analysis to determine factors resulting in late-time radionuclide gas seeps from underground nuclear explosions. In this work, we considered 16 underground nuclear explosions with similar geology and test setup, of which five resulted in the measurement of late-time radionuclide gas concentrations at the ground surface. Additionally, the factors we considered include barometric frequency and amplitude, depth of burial, air-filled porosity, intact-rock permeability, fracture aperture, and fracture spacing. The analysis indicates that the best discriminators of late-time radionuclide gas seeps for these explosions are barometric frequency and amplitude and air-filled porosity. While geologic information on fracture aperture and spacing is not available for these explosions, the sensitivity of barometric-pumping efficiency to fracture aperture indicates that it would likely also be a good discriminator.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1650627
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1635293
Report Number(s):
LA-UR--19-31271
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 13 Vol. 47; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
analytical
barometric pumping
gas transport
inverse