Geologic Investigation of Alternative Flight Testing Sites

Lord, Anna C. Snider

doi:10.2172/1504613

Title: Geologic Investigation of Alternative Flight Testing Sites

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Abstract

Sandia National Laboratories is evaluating alternative gravity bomb flight test (GBFT) options that might be more cost effective in the 2025 timeframe than the current Tonopah Test Range (TTR) facility. The alternate ranges being considered are White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) and the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). One of the factors considered in the decision process is if the geology of the alternative sites is suitable for gravity bomb flight testing. The study looked at seven specific sites within the three test ranges, including the TTR. Those seven sites are Main Lake and Antelope Lake at TTR, Trinity Lake at WSMR, and Yucca Lake, an area west of Frenchman Flat, Pahute Mesa, and the Pahute Airstrip all at NNSS. The four lakes studied are playas. In general the findings indicate that the playa lakes (Main, Antelope, Trinity, and Yucca) consist of fine-grained lacustrine sediments with inter-bedded stringers of coarse grains and gravels towards the shorelines. Frenchman Flat and Pahute Airstrip are both located within basins filled with poorly sorted gravel alluviums. Pahute Mesa consists of volcanic tuff. The seven sites are listed in order from the most favorable location to least favorable based on the suitability of the geologymore »« less

Authors:

Lord, Anna C. Snider ^[1]

Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Geotechnology and Engineering

Publication Date:: Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Research Org.:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1504613

Report Number(s):: SAND-2015-4848
590829

DOE Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:: Technical Report

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 58 GEOSCIENCES; 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE

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                    Lord, Anna C. Snider. Geologic Investigation of Alternative Flight Testing Sites.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
        Web.  doi:10.2172/1504613.

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                    Lord, Anna C. Snider. Geologic Investigation of Alternative Flight Testing Sites.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/1504613

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                    Lord, Anna C. Snider. 2015.  
        "Geologic Investigation of Alternative Flight Testing Sites".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/1504613.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1504613.

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@article{osti_1504613,

  title        = {Geologic Investigation of Alternative Flight Testing Sites},

  author       = {Lord, Anna C. Snider},

  abstractNote = {Sandia National Laboratories is evaluating alternative gravity bomb flight test (GBFT) options that might be more cost effective in the 2025 timeframe than the current Tonopah Test Range (TTR) facility. The alternate ranges being considered are White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) and the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). One of the factors considered in the decision process is if the geology of the alternative sites is suitable for gravity bomb flight testing. The study looked at seven specific sites within the three test ranges, including the TTR. Those seven sites are Main Lake and Antelope Lake at TTR, Trinity Lake at WSMR, and Yucca Lake, an area west of Frenchman Flat, Pahute Mesa, and the Pahute Airstrip all at NNSS. The four lakes studied are playas. In general the findings indicate that the playa lakes (Main, Antelope, Trinity, and Yucca) consist of fine-grained lacustrine sediments with inter-bedded stringers of coarse grains and gravels towards the shorelines. Frenchman Flat and Pahute Airstrip are both located within basins filled with poorly sorted gravel alluviums. Pahute Mesa consists of volcanic tuff. The seven sites are listed in order from the most favorable location to least favorable based on the suitability of the geology for GBFT. An ideal test site would consist of a succession of soft sediments devoid of hard layers. WSMR Lake Trinity is the most suitable site, exhibiting solely find-grained sediments across the study region. The lakes at TTR follow next with Antelope Lake and Main Lake, Antelope lake being finer grained and more homogeneous than Main Lake. The four NNSS sites are considered the least favorable due the heterogenetic character of Yucca Lake, Pahute Airstrip, and Frenchman Flat. The geology of Pahute Mesa is considered the least favorable consisting of volcanic tuff too hard for current test operations.},

  doi          = {10.2172/1504613},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1504613},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

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