Vertical force scaling in seismic source models of underground nuclear explosions
Abstract
SUMMARY We have reanalysed observations of body waves and surface waves for 71 well-recorded underground nuclear explosions (UNEs) that were conducted between 1977 and 1989 at the Balapan subregion of the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan. To reconcile differences between body-wave and surface-wave amplitudes, we solve for a scaling factor between vertical and horizontal forces in the explosion model. We find that the estimated scaling factor is anticorrelated with the scaled depth of burial for the subset of UNEs at Balapan that have published depths. The observed anticorrelation and the inferred variations in force scaling suggest that recorded surface-wave amplitudes are significantly influenced by UNE burial depth as well as by previously recognized tectonic release. As part of our analysis, we revisit the relationship between teleseismic mb(P) and yield for UNEs at Balapan, and discuss the physical basis for effectiveness of the mb–MS discriminant.
- Authors:
-
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
- Publication Date:
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1595509
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NA0002534
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Journal International
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Geophysical Journal International Journal Volume: 221 Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 0956-540X
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
Howe, Michael, Ekström, Göran, and Richards, Paul G. Vertical force scaling in seismic source models of underground nuclear explosions. United Kingdom: N. p., 2020.
Web. doi:10.1093/gji/ggz582.
Howe, Michael, Ekström, Göran, & Richards, Paul G. Vertical force scaling in seismic source models of underground nuclear explosions. United Kingdom. doi:10.1093/gji/ggz582.
Howe, Michael, Ekström, Göran, and Richards, Paul G. Wed .
"Vertical force scaling in seismic source models of underground nuclear explosions". United Kingdom. doi:10.1093/gji/ggz582.
@article{osti_1595509,
title = {Vertical force scaling in seismic source models of underground nuclear explosions},
author = {Howe, Michael and Ekström, Göran and Richards, Paul G.},
abstractNote = {SUMMARY We have reanalysed observations of body waves and surface waves for 71 well-recorded underground nuclear explosions (UNEs) that were conducted between 1977 and 1989 at the Balapan subregion of the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan. To reconcile differences between body-wave and surface-wave amplitudes, we solve for a scaling factor between vertical and horizontal forces in the explosion model. We find that the estimated scaling factor is anticorrelated with the scaled depth of burial for the subset of UNEs at Balapan that have published depths. The observed anticorrelation and the inferred variations in force scaling suggest that recorded surface-wave amplitudes are significantly influenced by UNE burial depth as well as by previously recognized tectonic release. As part of our analysis, we revisit the relationship between teleseismic mb(P) and yield for UNEs at Balapan, and discuss the physical basis for effectiveness of the mb–MS discriminant.},
doi = {10.1093/gji/ggz582},
journal = {Geophysical Journal International},
number = 1,
volume = 221,
place = {United Kingdom},
year = {2020},
month = {1}
}
DOI: 10.1093/gji/ggz582
Works referenced in this record:
Discrimination Between Earthquakes and Underground Explosions Employing an Improved Ms Scale
journal, June 1972
- Marshall, P. D.; Basham, P. W.
- Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 28, Issue 5
Yields of Soviet underground nuclear explosions from seismic surface waves: Compliance with the Threshold Test Ban Treaty
journal, March 1984
- Sykes, L. R.; Cifuentes, I. L.
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 81, Issue 6
The Theory of Stress Wave Radiation from Explosions in Prestressed Media
journal, September 1972
- Archambeau, C. B.
- Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 29, Issue 3
Empirical Measurements of Tectonic Moment Release In Nuclear Explosions From Teleseismic Surface Waves and Body Waves
journal, April 1994
- Ekström, Göran; Richards, Paul G.
- Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 117, Issue 1
Mechanism of Love-Wave excitation by explosive sources
journal, March 1972
- Aki, Keiiti; Tsai, Yi-Ben
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 77, Issue 8
The physical basis of m b : M s and variable frequency magnitude methods for earthquake/explosion discrimination
journal, January 1985
- Stevens, Jeffry L.; Day, Steven M.
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 90, Issue B4
Effects of shock-induced tensile failure on m b - M s discrimination: Contrasts between historic nuclear explosions and the North Korean test of 9 October 2006
journal, January 2008
- Patton, Howard J.; Taylor, Steven R.
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 35, Issue 14
The apparent explosion moment: Inferences of volumetric moment due to source medium damage by underground nuclear explosions
journal, January 2011
- Patton, Howard J.; Taylor, Steven R.
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116, Issue B3
Nuclear explosion locations at the Balapan, Kazakhstan, nuclear test site: the effects of high-precision arrival times and three-dimensional structure
journal, April 2001
- Thurber, Clifford; Trabant, Chad; Haslinger, Florian
- Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, Vol. 123, Issue 2-4
Rg excitation by underground explosions: insights from source modelling the 1997 Kazakhstan depth-of-burial experiment
journal, December 2005
- Patton, Howard J.; Bonner, Jessie L.; Gupta, Indra N.
- Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 163, Issue 3
Equivalent Volume Sources for Explosions at Depth: Theory and Observations
journal, April 2005
- Richards, P. G.
- Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Vol. 95, Issue 2
Shallow Velocity Structure at the Shagan River Test Site in Kazakhstan
journal, October 2001
- Bonner, J. L.; Pearson, D. C.; Phillips, W. S.
- Pure and Applied Geophysics, Vol. 158, Issue 11
A physical basis for M s -yield scaling in hard rock and implications for late-time damage of the source medium
journal, April 2016
- Patton, Howard J.
- Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 206, Issue 1
Joint maximum-likelihood magnitudes of presumed underground nuclear test explosions
journal, May 2017
- Peacock, Sheila; Douglas, Alan; Bowers, David
- Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 210, Issue 2
Seismic yield determination of Soviet underground nuclear explosions at the Shagan River test site
journal, April 1992
- Ringdal, Frode; Marshall, Peter D.; Alewine, Ralph W.
- Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 109, Issue 1
mb:Ms Event Screening Revisited
journal, February 2012
- Selby, N. D.; Marshall, P. D.; Bowers, D.
- Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Vol. 102, Issue 1