Damage Distant Airblast from MINOR SCALE
Abstract
An unexpected change in winds at 4-5 km MSL caused airblast ducting and focusing on Carrizozo, NM, 60 km east from MINOR SCALE. In result, this 4.8 kt ANFO (ammonium nitrate-fuel oil) explosion test, rattled the town with 300 Pa (0.0435 psi) overpressure, according to the microbarograph records. Four large (8 x 10 ft) store windows are broken. Weather data which were collected during this event show that conditions changed near shot time, as needed to explain this result. It appears that the variability of winds over the mountains region around WSMR is appreciably larger than over flatter terrain, so that airblast propagation predictions are subject to significant error. Microbarographs are essential in surrounding communities, to document the explosion airblast strength when unexpectedly enhanced blasts occur. The provided empirical model for estimating window damage from expected overpressure appeared to work well. As expected, large windows were the first to fail from the blast.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADP005362
Entities
People
- Jack W. Reed
Organizations
- Sandia National Laboratories