Surface effects of underground nuclear explosions

Technical Report · Sun Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/671858· OSTI ID:671858

Allen, B M; Drellack, Jr, S L; Townsend, M J

The effects of nuclear explosions have been observed and studied since the first nuclear test (code named Trinity) on July 16, 1945. Since that first detonation, 1,053 nuclear tests have been conducted by the US, most of which were sited underground at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The effects of underground nuclear explosions (UNEs) on their surroundings have long been the object of much interest and study, especially for containment, engineering, and treaty verification purposes. One aspect of these explosion-induced phenomena is the disruption or alteration of the near-surface environment, also known as surface effects. This report was prepared at the request of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), to bring together, correlate, and preserve information and techniques used in the recognition and documentation of surface effects of UNEs. This report has several main sections, including pertinent background information (Section 2.0), descriptions of the different types of surface effects (Section 3.0), discussion of their application and limitations (Section 4.0), an extensive bibliography and glossary (Section 6.0 and Appendix A), and procedures used to document geologic surface effects at the NTS (Appendix C). Because a majority of US surface-effects experience is from the NTS, an overview of pertinent NTS-specific information also is provided in Appendix B. It is not within the scope of this report to explore new relationships among test parameters, physiographic setting, and the types or degree of manifestation of surface effects, but rather to compile, summarize, and capture surface-effects observations and interpretations, as well as documentation procedures and the rationale behind them.

• Research Organization: Bechtel Nevada Inc., Las Vegas, NV (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC08-96NV11718
• OSTI ID: 671858
• Report Number(s): DOE/NV/11718--122; ON: DE97054146
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CRATERS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOMORPHOLOGY
GROUND SUBSIDENCE
HYDROLOGY
NEVADA TEST SITE
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
SEISMIC EFFECTS
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS