Measurement of Close-in Ground Motion from an Underground Chemical Explosion

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2025

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2999176· OSTI ID:2999176

Robey, Richard Ellis ^[1]; Wright, Andrew Alexander ^[1]; Cochrane, Alfred Hardy ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Understanding the geophysical response near an underground explosion is crucial for generating insights into the source and emplacement conditions that produce distinct observations in monitoring scenarios occurring at greater distances. Recently, Shot A of the Low Yield Nuclear Monitoring (LYNM) Physics Experiment 1 (PE1) series was conducted at the Nevada National Security Site to provide ground truth for subsurface explosion signal models. This experiment resulted in measuring near-source ground motion at distances ranging from 70 to 1000 m/kt with a 99% success rate, yielding high-fidelity knowledge of the near-field response that can serve as benchmarks for future numerical modeling and experiment planning. However, technical challenges exist in observing near-source phenomena while safeguarding sensitive data acquisition components from the detrimental effects of ground motion in the subsurface. This report outlines tools and techniques to address challenges associated with observing near-source accelerations and within the tunnel drift of the PE1 test bed. Additionally, we describe key systems designed with both modern advancements and legacy guidance to maximize the collection of high-quality ground motion data, which may be applied to constitutive and computational models, leading to new or improved understanding of the near- and far-field signals produced by underground explosions.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
• Contributing Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), Santa Barbara, CA (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 2999176
• Report Number(s): SAND--2025-12503; 1776761
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
58 GEOSCIENCES