High-explosive craters in desert alluvium, tuff, and basalt
Explosion craters in desert alluvium were formed over a range of energy releases from 256 to 1,000,000 pounds of TNT. An empirical scaling law in which crater dimensions vary as the energy release to the 0.3 power best relates dimensions from small to large chemical explosions. Consideration of overburden leads to a partial explanation of the failure of cube-root scaling. Optimum depth of burst for 256-pound chemical explosions in desert alluvium is near 10 feet. Diameter depth ratios vary from roughly 6-8 to 1 for surface bursts to 4 to 1 for bursts at optimum depth. Thirteen 256-pound charges of spherically cast TNT were detonated in volcanic tuff to determine apparent crater dimensions. Charges were placed at six different burst depths in the region approaching containment of the explosion. Variation of crater dimensions with burst depth was determined. No crater resulted where burst depth was greater than 1.75 ft/W/ sup 1/3. Ten 1000-pound charges (two at each of five burst depths) and three 40,000 pound charges (each at different burst depths) describe variation of crater dimensions with burst depth in basalt. For constant charge size, maximum and average rock size increases with increased burst depth. For constant scaled burst depth, maximum rock size increases as charge weight is increased.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia Lab., Albuquerque, N. Mex.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-000408
- OSTI ID:
- 4833696
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 66; ISSN 0148-0227
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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