Exploring the atmosphere with nuclear explosions

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Abstract
Pressure waves from large nuclear explosions have been recorded at many stations over the earth by instruments installed by the Lamont Geological Observatory. The propagation of these waves is controlled primarily by gravity and the acoustic properties of the atmosphere in a manner that produces group velocity dispersion of the acoustic‐gravity modes making up the signal. The nature of the wave dispersion depends on both the thermal and the wind stratification of the atmosphere. The casual relationships have been studied both experimentally and theoretically. To provide more data for air‐wave investigations, the 208 Lamont records made at 15 stations from 45 nuclear explosions are presented here together with related data on source, times, and distances.