PARTICLE MOTION NEAR A NUCLEAR DETONATION IN HALITE

Technical Report · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4665575

Weart, W D

Strong motion parameters from the Project Gnome operation were measured in the region extending 60 to 480 meters from the center of detonation or working point along both vertical and horizontal radii. Travel-time data from the horizontal radius reveals three distinct arrivals. First arrivals are propagated through a polyhalite layer with a velocity of 4.839 km/sec and are followed by the direct elastic wave arrival in the salt horizon (4.318 km/sec) and the plastic wave, which decreases in velocity as the stress level diminishes. Vertically, the velocity varies from 5.1 km/sec at about 50 meters above the shot to 0.785 km/sec a few meters below the surface. Peak accelerations in the salt are best fitted by the relations A = 890 R/sup -5.3/ from 60 to 122 meters and A = 560 R/sup 2.7/ from 122 to 480 meters, where R is in hundreds of meters and A is in urits of gravity. Peak particle velocity in the salt is given by U == 13 R/ sup 3.56/from 60 to 100 meters and U = 13 R/sup 1.36/ from 100 to 480 meters. Motion of the ground above the shot reveals that spalling occurred at several horizons. The deepest spall separation was below 92 meters. These effects were most pronounced at the surface where the initial acceleration, velocity, and displacement peak values were A = 25 g, U = 5.6 m/s, and D = 168 cm. Residual upward displacement at surface zero at +5 minutes was 79 cm. (auth)

• Research Organization: Sandia Corp., Albuquerque, N. Mex.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(29-1)-789
• NSA Number: NSA-17-035962
• OSTI ID: 4665575
• Report Number(s): PNE-108F
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

DEFORMATION
ELASTICITY
ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT
GRAVITATION
HALITE
LAYERS
MEASURED VALUES
MINERALS
MOTION
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
OPERATION
PARTICLES
SALTS
SHOCK WAVES
SODIUM CHLORIDES
STRESSES
SURFACES
VARIATIONS
VELOCITY