Wavelet analysis of mining explosions: Observations relating to verification of a comprehensive nuclear test ban

Technical Report · Mon Nov 17 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:572338

Hedlin, M; Wendel, D

The UN General Assembly`s adoption at a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996 heightens the need to distinguish nuclear events not only from earthquakes, but also from man-made mining explosions. The treaty requires a monitoring threshold potentially as low as magnitude mg=2.5, which translates to a yield of roughly 16 T of explosive. In the US, the number of man-made mining explosions with yield greater than 50 T is about 10,000 per day, about one of which is greater than 200 T, giving ample justification for a discriminant that sifts earthquakes and nuclear explosions from mining explosions that may occur on the same magnitude scale. What is more, there are various ways to evade the detection of a nuclear test, such as detonating the bomb in an underground cavity or during an earthquake or certain types of mining explosions. That evasion tactics can effectively reduce the perceived magnitude by half underscores the need for high-gain. High-confidence identification methods.

• Research Organization: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States). Inst. of Geophysics and Planetary Physics
• OSTI ID: 572338
• Report Number(s): AD-A--332280/7/XAB; CNN: Contract F49620-94-1-0410
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
MONITORING
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS