The complex postdetonation geologic structures that form after an underground nuclear explosion are hard to constrain because increased heterogeneity around the damage zone affects seismic waves that propagate through the explosion site. Generally, a vertical rub-ble-filled structure known as a chimney is formed after an underground nuclear explosion that is composed of debris that falls into the subsurface cavity generated by the explosion. Compared with chimneys that collapse fully, leaving a surface crater, partially collapsed chimneys can have remnant subsurface cavities left in place above collapsed rubble. The 1964 nuclear test HADDOCK, conducted at the Nevada test site (now the Nevada National Security Site), formed a partially collapsed chimney with no surface crater. Understanding the subsurface structure of these features has significant national security applications, such as aiding the study of suspected underground nuclear explosions under a treaty verification. In this study, we investigated the subsurface architecture of the HADDOCK legacy nuclear test using hybrid 2D–3D active source seismic reflection and refraction data. The seismic data were acquired using 275 survey shots from the Seismic Hammer (a 13,000 kg weight drop) and 65 survey shots from a smaller accelerated weight drop, both recorded by ∼ 1000 three-component 5 Hz geophones. First-arrival, P-wave tomographic modeling shows a low-velocity anomaly at ∼ 200 m depth, likely an air-filled cavity caused by partial collapse of the rock column into the temporary post-detonation cavity. A high-velocity anomaly between 20 and 60 m depth represents spall-related compaction of the shallow alluvium. Hints of low velocities are also present near the burial depth ( ∼ 364 m). The reflection seismic data show a prominent subhorizontal reflector at ∼ 300 m depth, a short-curved reflector at ∼ 200 m, and a high-amplitude reflector at ∼ 50 m depth. Comparisons of the reflection sections to synthetic data and borehole stratigraphy suggest that these features correspond to the alluvium–tuff contact, the partial collapse cavity, and the spalled layer, respectively.
We use Monte Carlo simulations to explore the effects of earth model uncertainty on the estimation of the seismic source time functions that correspond to the six independent components of the point source seismic moment tensor. Specifically, we invert synthetic data using Green's functions estimated from a suite of earth models that contain stochastic density and seismic wave-speed heterogeneities. We find that the primary effect of earth model uncertainty on the data is that the amplitude of the first-arriving seismic energy is reduced, and that this amplitude reduction is proportional to the magnitude of the stochastic heterogeneities. Also, we find that the amplitude of the estimated seismic source functions can be under-or overestimated, depending on the stochastic earth model used to create the data. This effect is totally unpredictable, meaning that uncertainty in the earth model can lead to unpredictable biases in the amplitude of the estimated seismic source functions.
This report presents the infrasound data recorded as part of the Source Physics Experiment - Phase 2, Dry Alluvium Geology. This experiment, also known colloquially as DAG, consisted of four underground chemical explosions at the Nevada National Security Site. We focus our analysis on only the fourth explosion (DAG-4) as we determined that this was the only event that produced clear source-generated infrasound energy as recorded by the DAG sensors. We analyze the data using two inversion methods. The first method is designed to estimate the point-source seismoacoustic source time functions, and the second inversion method is designed to estimate the first-order characteristics (e.g. horizontal dimensions and maximum amplitude) of the actual spall surface. For both analysis methods, we are able to fit the data reasonably well, with various assumptions of the source model. The estimated seismoacoustic source appears to be a combination of a buried, isotropic explosion with a maximum amplitude of ~2 x 109 Nm and a vertically oriented force, applied to the Earth's surface with a maximum amplitude of 4 x 107 N. We use the vertically oriented force to simulate surface spall. The estimated spall surface has an approximate radius of ~40 m with a maximum acceleration magnitude in the range of 0.8 to 1.5 m/s/s. These estimates are approximately similar to the measured surface acceleration at the site.
The interface between the Earth and the atmosphere forms a strong contrast in material properties. As such, numerical issues can arise when simulating an elastic wavefield across such a boundary when using a numerical simulation scheme. This is exacerbated when two different simulation codes are coupled straddling that interface. In this report we document how we implement the coupling of CTH, a nonlinear shock physics code, to a linearized elastic/acoustic wave propagation algorithm, axiElasti, across the air-earth interface. We first qualitatively verify that this stable coupling between the two algorithms produces expected results with no visible effects of the coupling interface. We then verify the coupling interface quantitatively by checking consistency with results from previous work and with coupled acoustic-elastic seismo-acoustic source inversions in three earth materials.
Explosions detonated in geologic media damage it in various ways via processes that include vaporization, fracturing, crushing of interstitial pores, etc. Seismic waves interact with the altered media in ways that could be important to the discrimination, characterization, and location of the explosions. As part of the Source Physics Experiment, we acquired multiple pre- and post-explosion near-field seismic datasets and analyzed changes to seismic P-wave velocity. Our results indicate that the first explosion detonated in an intact media can cause fracturing and, consequently, a decrease in P-wave velocity. After the first explosion, subsequent detonations in the pre-damaged media have limited discernible effects. We hypothesize this is due to the stress-relief provided by a now pre-existing network of fractures into which gasses produced by the explosion migrate. We also see an overall increase in velocity of the damaged region over time, either due to a slow healing process or closing of the fractures by subsequent explosions.
As a part of the series of Source Physics Experiments (SPE) conducted on the Nevada National Security Site in southern Nevada, we have developed a local-to-regional scale seismic velocity model of the site and surrounding area. Accurate earth models are critical for modeling sources like the SPE to investigate the role of earth structure on the propagation and scattering of seismic waves. We combine seismic body waves, surface waves, and gravity data in a joint inversion procedure to solve for the optimal 3D seismic compres-sional and shear-wave velocity structures and earthquake locations subject to model smoothness constraints. Earthquakes, which are relocated as part of the inversion, provide P-and S-body-wave absolute and differential travel times. Active source experiments in the region augment this dataset with P-body-wave absolute times and surface-wave dispersion data. Dense ground-based gravity observations and surface-wave dispersion derived from ambient noise in the region fill in many areas where body-wave data are sparse. In general, the top 1–2 km of the surface is relatively poorly sampled by the body waves alone. However, the addition of gravity and surface waves to the body-wave data-set greatly enhances structural resolvability in the near surface. We discuss the method-ology we developed for simultaneous inversion of these disparate data types and briefly describe results of the inversion in the context of previous work in the region.
We invert infrasound signals for an equivalent seismoacoustic source function using different atmospheric models to produce the necessary Green’s functions. The infrasound signals were produced by a series of underground chemical explosions as part of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE). In a previous study, we inverted the infrasound data using so-called predictive atmospheric models, which were based on historic, regional-scaled, publicly available weather observations interpolated onto a 3D grid. For the work presented here, we invert the same infrasound data, but using atmospheric models based on weather data collected in a time window that includes the approximate time of the explosion experiments, which we term postdictive models. We build two versions of the postdictive models for each SPE event: one that is based solely on the regional scaled observations, and one that is based on both regional scaled observations combined with on-site observations obtained by a weather sonde released at the time of the SPE. We then invert the observed data set three times, once for each atmospheric model type. We find that the estimated seismoacoustic source functions are relatively similar in waveform shape regardless of which atmospheric model that we used to construct the Green’s functions. However, we find that the amplitude of the estimated source functions is systematically dependent on the atmospheric model type: using the predictive atmospheric models to invert the data generally yields estimated source functions that are larger in amplitude than those estimated using the postdictive models.
In preparation for the next phase of the Source Physics Experiments, we acquired an active-source seismic dataset along two transects totaling more than 30 km in length at Yucca Flat, Nevada, on the Nevada National Security Site. Yucca Flat is a sedimentary basin which has hosted more than 650 underground nuclear tests (UGTs). The survey source was a novel 13,000 kg modified industrial pile driver. This weight drop source proved to be broadband and repeatable, richer in low frequencies (1-3 Hz) than traditional vibrator sources and capable of producing peak particle velocities similar to those produced by a 50 kg explosive charge. In this study, we performed a joint inversion of P-wave refraction travel times and Rayleigh-wave phase-velocity dispersion curves for the P- and S-wave velocity structure of Yucca Flat. Phase-velocity surface-wave dispersion measurements were obtained via the refraction microtremor method on 1 km arrays, with 80% overlap. Our P-wave velocity models verify and expand the current understanding of Yucca Flat’s subsurface geometry and bulk properties such as depth to Paleozoic basement and shallow alluvium velocity. Areas of disagreement between this study and the current geologic model of Yucca Flat (derived from borehole studies) generally correlate with areas of widely spaced borehole control points. This provides an opportunity to update the existing model, which is used for modeling groundwater flow and radionuclide transport. Scattering caused by UGT-related high-contrast velocity anomalies substantially reduced the number and frequency bandwidth of usable dispersion picks. The S-wave velocity models presented in this study agree with existing basin-wide studies of Yucca Flat, but are compromised by diminished surface-wave coherence as a product of this scattering. As nuclear nonproliferation monitoring moves from teleseismic to regional or even local distances, such high-frequency (>5 Hz) scattering could prove challenging when attempting to discriminate events in areas of previous testing.
We document azimuthally dependent seismic scattering at the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) using the large-N array. The large-N array recorded the seismic wavefield produced by the SPE-5 buried chemical explosion, which occurred in April 2016 at the Nevada National Security Site, U.S.A. By selecting a subset of vertical-component geophones from the large-N array, we formed 10 linear arrays, with different nominal source-receiver azimuths as well as six 2D arrays. For each linear array, we evaluate wavefield coherency as a function of frequency and interstation distance. For both the P arrival and post-P arrivals, the coherency is higher in the northeast propagation direction, which is consistent with the strike of the steeply dipping Boundary fault adjacent to the northwest side of the large-N array. Conventional array analysis using a suite of 2D arrays suggests that the presence of the fault may help explain the azimuthal dependence of the seismic-wave coherency for all wave types. This fault, which separates granite from alluvium, may be acting as a vertically oriented refractor and/or waveguide.
Many geologic materials and minerals are seismically anisotropic, with the most general anisotropic material having up to 21 independent elastic coefficients. This report outlines the development of a 3-D, generally anisotropic, linear elastic full waveform finite-difference solver. First, a mathematical description of the solution equations will be described. The finite-difference implementation of these equations will then be shown. Finally, a comparison of results from this new solver to other solutions will be provided as verification that the new algorithm can accurately replicate these solutions.
ParelastiFWl is a python-based frontend to the seismic full waveform inversion process using Sandia Geophysics Department's 3-D isotropic elastic full waveform simulation code, Parelasti. The arguments one provides to ParelastiFWl guide the full waveform inversion process, including resolution of the inversion grid and basic regularization. This report outlines the user flags and ParelastiFWI usage to control the full waveform inversion procedure.
This work is a follow-on guide to running the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model from Aur et al, (2018), Building and Running 1 DAAPS Models: IFRF Postdictions. This guide details running WRF in a nudged configuration, where the u and v wind components, temperature, and moisture within a specified spatial and temporal window, are adjusted towards the observations, radiosonde observations in this case, using WRF's observation nudging technique. The primary modification to this methodology from Aur et al. (2018), is the use of the OBSGRID program to generate the nudging files and the updates to the namelist.input file. These steps, combined with those outlined in Aur et al. (2018), will generate a nudged WRF hindcast (or postdiction) simulation.