OSTI Document ID 671858
Local PDF osti/671858.pdf
Title Surface effects of underground nuclear explosions
Creator/Author Allen, B.M.; Drellack, S.L. Jr.; Townsend, M.J.
Publication Date 1997 Jun 01
Report Number(s) line line docnumall
DOE Contract No. AC08-96NV11718
Resource/
Doc Type
Technical Report
Resource Relation PBD: Jun 1997
Research
Organization
Bechtel Nevada Inc., Las Vegas, NV (United States)
Sponsoring
Organization
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
Subject 45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE ; UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS; NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS; SEISMIC EFFECTS; NEVADA TEST SITE; GEOMORPHOLOGY; CRATERS; GROUND SUBSIDENCE; GEOLOGIC FRACTURES; HYDROLOGY; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Description/
Abstract
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.
Country of
Publication
United States
Language English
Format 160 p. ; PL:
Availability OSTI as DE97054146
OSTI Identifier OSTI ID: 671858 ; DE97054146
System Entry Date 2001 May 06