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Seismic efficiency of decoupled nuclear explosions
Author(s) -
Adushkin Vitaly V.,
Kitov Ivan O.,
Kuznetsov O. P.,
Sultanov Djamil D.
Publication year - 1993
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 - 10.1029/93gl00172
Subject(s) - decoupling (probability) , amplitude , seismology , geology , seismic wave , seismic energy , physics , salt dome , optics , paleontology , control engineering , engineering
Experimental observations of the seismic efficiency of a decoupled nuclear explosion in a salt dome are presented. The energy decoupling factor was calculated from local, regional and teleseismic data using the ratio of the amplitudes of the tamped (well coupled) explosion that had created the cavity and that of the decoupled one. To calculate the amplitudes of the seismic waves of a well coupled explosion of the same yield as the decoupled one, a scaling law for explosions fired within the same region was used. An energy decoupling factor near 30 is consistent with local, regional and teleseismic data. It is concluded that decoupling was only partial for the event described. Numerical calculations of partial decoupling showed that the seismic wave spectrum at an epicentral distance of 2.3 km is consistent with an amplitude decoupling factor of 20, which is consistent with the energy decoupling factor 30.