REPORT ON OBSERVATIONS MADE AT KIRUNA GEOPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY DURING THE SERIES OF NUCLEAR WEAPON TESTS CARRIED OUT AT NOVAJA ZEMLJA BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 10 AND NOVEMBER 4, 1961

Technical Report · Mon Dec 11 04:00:00 EST 1961

OSTI ID:4828502

Hultqvist, B; Egeland, A; Gustafsson, G; Liszka, L; Ortner, J; Heikkilae, K E; Olsen, S; Maekitalo, T; Eriksson, B

A review of previously published reports on upper atmosphere effects of nuclear explosions is given. The equipment used for taking the records at Kiruna Geophysical Observatory during the nuclear weapon test series at Novaja Zemlja between Sept. 10 and Nov. 4, 1961 is briefly described. The observations possibly associated with the blasts are reported and discussed. Virtually no electromagnetic or upper atmospheric indications oa a nuclear weapon test could be found at Kiruna on the days Sept. 10, Oct. 2, 6, 8, and 25, and Nov. 2. Some indications, but of low significance, were obtained on Sept. 14, 18, 20, Oct. 4, and Nov. 4. Probable effects were recorded on Sept. 12, 16, and 22, and Oct. 20 and 27. Highly significant observations of upper atmosphere effects were made only when the very largest weapons were detonated, i.e.. on Oct. 23, 30, and 31. On the basis of the Kiruna observations it seems probable that the explosion of Sept. 16, for which day no time of explosion based on seismic or other effects was known to the authors, occurred close to 0830 UT. No self consistent picture of the effects of the nuclear explosions on the upper atmosphere was possible to arrive at on the basis of the Kiruna observation, only. Possible interpretations-- mostly highly speculative--of the observations on Oct. 23, 30, and 31 are discussed. (auth)

• Research Organization: Sweden. Kunglica Vetenskapsakademien. Geofysiska Observatoriet, Kiruna
• NSA Number: NSA-16-025086
• OSTI ID: 4828502
• Report Number(s): KGO-611; A/AC.82/G/L.755
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
GEOPHYSICS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
SEISMOLOGY