Effect of Gaseous Products of Underground Chemical Explosions on Seismic Coupling

摘要

The effect of the amount of gaseous by-products from small chemical explosions on seismic source signatures is examined. The explosions analyzed in this article were conducted using different types of explosives (ammonium nitrate-fuel oil and Composition B) as a part of the New England Damage Experiment (NEDE) in Barre, Vermont. These explosives have different densities, burn rates, and energy contents per unit mass, and upon detonation they produce different amounts and compositions of gaseous by-products. The amount of gas products released during the detonation depends on the chemical composition of the explosives as well as on the presence of other compounds in and around the cavity that can vaporize or chemically decompose during the explosion (e.g., water).