Black Thunder Coal Mine and Los Alamos National Laboratory experimental study of seismic energy generated by large scale mine blasting

Conference · Tue Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:432904

Martin, R L; Gross, D ^[1]; Pearson, D C; Stump, B W ^[2]; Anderson, D P ^[3]

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1. Thunder Basin Coal Co., Wright, WY (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
3. Southern Methodist Univ., Dallas, TX (United States). Dept. of Geological Sciences

In an attempt to better understand the impact that large mining shots will have on verifying compliance with the international, worldwide, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT, no nuclear explosion tests), a series of seismic and videographic experiments has been conducted during the past two years at the Black Thunder Coal Mine. Personnel from the mine and Los Alamos National Laboratory have cooperated closely to design and perform experiments to produce results with mutual benefit to both organizations. This paper summarizes the activities, highlighting the unique results of each. Topics which were covered in these experiments include: (1) synthesis of seismic, videographic, acoustic, and computer modeling data to improve understanding of shot performance and phenomenology; (2) development of computer generated visualizations of observed blasting techniques; (3) documentation of azimuthal variations in radiation of seismic energy from overburden casting shots; (4) identification of, as yet unexplained, out of sequence, simultaneous detonation in some shots using seismic and videographic techniques; (5) comparison of local (0.1 to 15 kilometer range) and regional (100 to 2,000 kilometer range) seismic measurements leading to determine of the relationship between local and regional seismic amplitude to explosive yield for overburden cast, coal bulking and single fired explosions; and (6) determination of the types of mining shots triggering the prototype International Monitoring System for the CTBT.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 432904
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-96-3633; CONF-970224-1; ON: DE97001680; TRN: AHC29704%%19
• Resource Relation: Conference: 23. annual conference on explosives and blasting technique, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 2-5 Feb 1997; Other Information: PBD: [1996]
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

35 ARMS CONTROL
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY
EXPLOSIVE FRACTURING
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
VERIFICATION
SEISMIC EFFECTS
PATTERN RECOGNITION
SURFACE MINING
COAL MINES
ROCK MECHANICS
SEISMIC WAVES
WAVE PROPAGATION
UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS
SURFACE EXPLOSIONS