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Experimental craters formed by single and multiple buried explosions and implications for volcanic craters with emphasis on maars
Author(s) -
Valentine Greg A.,
White James D. L.,
Ross PierreSimon,
Amin Jamal,
Taddeucci Jacopo,
Sonder Ingo,
Johnson Peter J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2012gl053716
Subject(s) - impact crater , ejecta , geology , volcano , maar , explosive material , explosive eruption , seismology , geophysics , astrobiology , pyroclastic rock , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , supernova
Craters at many volcanoes, including most maars, are formed by multiple subsurface explosions. Experiments compared the crater formed by a single large, buried explosion, with craters formed by multiple explosions with the same cumulative energy. Explosive charges were detonated in pads composed of layered aggregates, in three configurations: (1) a single large charge buried near its optimal crater excavation depth; (2) three charges, each with 1/3 the energy of the first one, buried at approximately the same depth with respect to the original pad surface; (3) the same three charges buried successively deeper. Final crater size in the multiple explosion cases is not a good indicator of the energy of individual explosions. However, crater morphology, and ejecta volume and distribution can be good indicators of explosion energy and depth. These results directly impact the estimate of the energy released by past maar eruptions and future hazard assessments.