Abstract
A series of three large-scale underwater chemical explosions of 0.5, 2.06, and 5 tons of Chenamon (ANFO-like slurry explosives) were detonated in the Dead Sea at a water depth of ~70 m, during November 1999. The main objective of the experiment was calibration of seismic stations in the Middle East that provide monitoring of underground nuclear tests, using accurate travel times of seismic waves. The largest shot produced a seismic magnitude of about 4, and was recorded at distances up to 3500 km. Results of a study of hydro-acoustic effects and source phenomenology features of underwater explosions are presented.
The video-records and audio tracks demonstrated interesting physical phenomena, such as a “cavitation hat,” epicenter plume, arrivals of hydro-acoustic blast waves and bubble pulsations in air-acoustic waves. Recordings of pressure–time history for the two larger explosions at distances of about 700 m revealed several phases, propagating by different paths. Arrival time measurements and seismic station records contributed to verification of the charge depth, explosion-to-sensor distances, and first bubble-pulse period.
The peak pressures of the water shock waves observed significantly exceeded the values expected from a similar TNT charge in ocean water. This fact can be attributed to the unequaled acoustic impedance of the Dead Sea water, being about 40 % higher than in the ocean.
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Acknowledgements
Research work of one of the authors (Y.G.) was supported by the Israel Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.
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Gitterman, Y., Sadwin, L.D. (2017). Blast Wave Observations for Large-Scale Underwater Explosions in the Dead Sea. In: Ben-Dor, G., Sadot, O., Igra, O. (eds) 30th International Symposium on Shock Waves 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44866-4_91
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44866-4_91
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