SEISMIC EFFECTS FROM A HIGH YIELD NUCLEAR CRATERING EXPERIMENT IN DESERT ALLUVIUM.

Abstract

SEDAN was a thermonuclear cratering experiment with a yield of about 100 kt detonated at a depth of 660 feet and resulting in a crater of maximum apparent depth of 320 feet and average apparent diameter of about 1200 feet. About 7.5 million cubic yards of earth and rock were displaced. Transitory earth particle motions were on an average twice as large from stations on deep alluvial deposits compared to those on shallow deposits at the same distance. Computed seismic energy was about 2.45 x 10 to the 18th power ergs, equivalent to a local earthquake magnitude of 4.75. This indicates that 0.06 percent of the total source energy was converted to seismic energy. Frequency analysis revealed spectral peaks near 1 cps. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0418675

Entities

People

  • W.v. Mickey

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ballistics
  • Cratering
  • Craters
  • Diameters
  • Earthquakes
  • Frequency
  • Impact Point
  • Particles
  • Terminal Ballistics

Fields of Study

  • Geology

Readers

  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Geotechnical Engineering.
  • Mathematics or Statistics