Analysis of seismic peak amplitudes from underground nuclear explosions

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Abstract
Ground-motion data recorded from 99 underground nuclear event ranging in yield from about 1 to 1200 kilotons are analyzed. The data were measured at more than 500 different stations with the source-to-station distance ranging from less than 1 to approximately 600 kilometers. More than 2,900 acceleration, displacement and velocity peak resultant vector data points are included in the analysis. A comparison of the results of the statistical analysis with expected results using cube-root of yield scaling concepts, shows that the peak amplitude of displacement cube-root scales whereas peak acceleration and velocity do not cube-root scale. Relative differences in the yield and distance exponents, n and m, obtained from the statistical analysis, are explained in terms of differences in the frequency content of recorded ground motions. The observed peak amplitude measurements from the events Boxcar and Benham are compared with predictions based on the statistical analyses.

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