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Yields of Soviet underground nuclear explosions at Novaya Zemlya, 1964-1976, from seismic body and surface waves

Journal Article · · Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States)
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Surface and body wave magnitudes are determined for 15 USSR underground nuclear weapons tests conducted at Novaya Zemlya between 1964 and 1976 and are used to estimate yields. These events include the largest underground explosions detonated by the Soviet Union. A histogram of body wave magnitude (m/sub b/) values indicates a clustering of explosions at a few specific yields. The most pronounced cluster consists of six explosions of yield near 500 kilotons. Several of these seem to be tests of warheads for major strategic systems that became operational in the late 1970s. The largest Soviet underground explosion is estimated to have a yield of 3500 +/- 600 kilotons, somewhat smaller than the yield of the largest US underground test. A preliminary estimation of the significance of tectonic release is made by measuring the amplitude of Love waves. The bias in m/sub b/ for Novaya Zemlya relative to the Nevada test site is about 0.35, nearly identical to that of the eastern Kazakhstan test site relative to Nevada.
Research Organization:
Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia Univ., Palisades, NY
OSTI ID:
6472217
Journal Information:
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States), Journal Name: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States) Vol. 83:2; ISSN PNASA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450300* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosion Detection
ASIA
DETECTION
EASTERN EUROPE
EUROPE
EXPLOSIONS
LOVE WAVES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEVADA TEST SITE
NUCLEAR EXPLOSION DETECTION
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEAR REACTION YIELD
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
SEISMIC DETECTION
SEISMIC P WAVES
SEISMIC S WAVES
SEISMIC SURFACE WAVES
SEISMIC WAVES
TREATIES
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
USSR
WEAPONS
YIELDS