Comparison of Mount Saint Helens volcanic eruption to a nuclear explosion. Technical note
Technical Report
·
OSTI ID:5037779
The phenomena and effects of airblast, ground shock, thermal radiation, cratering and ejecta, and debris cloud and deposition from the eruption of Mt. St. Helens were compared to those that would result from a nuclear explosion to determine if phenomena or effects were analogous and thus might provide useful data for military nuclear weapon effects studies. It is concluded that the phenomena are not analogous. In particular, airblast destruction was caused by clouds of ash driven by subsonic winds, rather than by a supersonic shock wave that would be the damage mechanism of a nuclear explosion. Because of the lack of analogy between the eruption and nuclear explosion phenomena, it appears questionable that any of the effects are analogous; therefore, it is unlikely that anything more of military interest can be gained from studying the effects of the eruption. However, key contacts for further information on the eruption and the associated research studies are given. The comparison of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens to the explosion of a 10- to 20-megaton nuclear weapon is misleading. Such comparisons serve no useful purpose and should be avoided.
- Research Organization:
- DOD Nuclear Information Analysis Center, Santa Barbara, CA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5037779
- Report Number(s):
- AD-A-112420/5; DASIAC-TN-80-3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450200* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives
58 GEOSCIENCES
580202 -- Geophysics-- Volcanology-- (1980-1989)
CASCADE MOUNTAINS
CAVITIES
CLOUDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CRATERS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ERUPTION
EXPLOSIONS
FEDERAL REGION X
GROUND MOTION
MOTION
MOUNTAINS
MT ST HELENS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
RADIATIONS
SHOCK WAVES
THERMAL RADIATION
USA
VOLCANOES
WASHINGTON
450200* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives
58 GEOSCIENCES
580202 -- Geophysics-- Volcanology-- (1980-1989)
CASCADE MOUNTAINS
CAVITIES
CLOUDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CRATERS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ERUPTION
EXPLOSIONS
FEDERAL REGION X
GROUND MOTION
MOTION
MOUNTAINS
MT ST HELENS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
RADIATIONS
SHOCK WAVES
THERMAL RADIATION
USA
VOLCANOES
WASHINGTON