Black Thunder Coal Mine and Los Alamos National Laboratory experimental study of seismic energy generated by large scale mine blasting
- Thunder Basin Coal Co., Wright, WY (United States)
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Southern Methodist Univ., Dallas, TX (United States). Dept. of Geological Sciences
In an attempt to better understand the impact that large mining shots will have on verifying compliance with the international, worldwide, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT, no nuclear explosion tests), a series of seismic and videographic experiments has been conducted during the past two years at the Black Thunder Coal Mine. Personnel from the mine and Los Alamos National Laboratory have cooperated closely to design and perform experiments to produce results with mutual benefit to both organizations. This paper summarizes the activities, highlighting the unique results of each. Topics which were covered in these experiments include: (1) synthesis of seismic, videographic, acoustic, and computer modeling data to improve understanding of shot performance and phenomenology; (2) development of computer generated visualizations of observed blasting techniques; (3) documentation of azimuthal variations in radiation of seismic energy from overburden casting shots; (4) identification of, as yet unexplained, out of sequence, simultaneous detonation in some shots using seismic and videographic techniques; (5) comparison of local (0.1 to 15 kilometer range) and regional (100 to 2,000 kilometer range) seismic measurements leading to determine of the relationship between local and regional seismic amplitude to explosive yield for overburden cast, coal bulking and single fired explosions; and (6) determination of the types of mining shots triggering the prototype International Monitoring System for the CTBT.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 432904
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR--96-3633; CONF-970224--1; ON: DE97001680
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
35 ARMS CONTROL
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
COAL MINES
EXPLOSIVE FRACTURING
NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PATTERN RECOGNITION
ROCK MECHANICS
SEISMIC EFFECTS
SEISMIC WAVES
SURFACE EXPLOSIONS
SURFACE MINING
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS
VERIFICATION
WAVE PROPAGATION