High-frequency seismic-source characteristics of cavity-decoupled underground nuclear explosions. Technical report No. 1, 22 March 1987-22 March 1988

Technical Report · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6662404

Murphy, J R; Stevens, J L; Rimer, N

This research investigated the high-frequency characteristics of the seismic sources corresponding to cavity-decoupled nuclear explosions and to assess the implications of these investigations with regard to the detection and discrimination of small decoupled explosions. The study was carried out using a combination of deterministic simulations and analyses of empirical data recorded from selected cavity-decoupled explosions. With regard to the deterministic simulations, a series of nonlinear finite-difference calculations were performed to simulate cavity-decoupled explosions in unsaturated tuff and salt emplacement media. These simulations have confirmed the fact that the simple-step pressure approximation is not valid at high-frequencies and that the initial pressure spike on the cavity wall can induce significant nonlinear response. Preliminary analyses of high-frequency seismic data recorded from the STERLING decoupled explosion in salt and the MILL YARD decoupled explosion in unsaturated tuff have provided evidence that the high frequency source components associated with the complex cavity pressure loadings do effectively couple into the seismic regime, in agreement with the predictions of the nonlinear finite-difference simulations.

• Research Organization: S-Cubed, San Diego, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6662404
• Report Number(s): AD-A-198121/6/XAB; SSS-R-88-9595
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450300* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosion Detection
58 GEOSCIENCES
580201 -- Geophysics-- Seismology & Tectonics-- (1980-1989)
CAVITIES
DECOUPLING
DETECTION
DISCRIMINATORS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
EMPLACEMENT
EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PROGRESS REPORT
SALTS
SEISMIC DETECTION
SEISMOLOGY
SIMULATION
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS
WALLS