Blast induced subsidence in the craters of nuclear tests over coral

Conference · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5908452

Burton, D E; Swift, R P; Glenn, H D; Bryan, J B

The craters from high-yield nuclear tests at the Pacific Proving Grounds are very broad and shallow in comparison with the bowl-shaped craters formed in continental rock at the Nevada Test Site and elsewhere. Attempts to account for the differences quantitatively have been generally unsatisfactory. We have for the first time successfully modeled the Koa Event, a representative coral-atoll test. On the basis of plausible assumptions about the geology and about the constitutive relations for coral, we have shown that the size and shape of the Koa crater can be accounted for by subsidence and liquefaction phenomena. If future studies confirm these assumptions, it will mean that some scaling formulas based on data from the Pacific will have to be revised to avoid overestimating weapons effects in continental geology. 9 refs., 5 figs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5908452
• Report Number(s): UCRL-91639; CONF-850671-4; ON: DE85007975
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450201* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives-- Containment
BIKINI
BLAST EFFECTS
CAVITIES
CNIDARIA
CORALS
CRATERING EXPLOSIONS
CRATERS
ENIWETOK
EXPLOSIONS
GROUND SUBSIDENCE
ISLANDS
LIQUEFACTION
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MICRONESIA
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
OCEANIA
PACIFIC OCEAN
SEAS
SHAPE
SIZE
SURFACE WATERS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WEAPONS