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Underground Nuclear Explosions and Release of Radioactive Noble Gases

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Abstract

Over a period in 1961–1990 496 underground nuclear tests and explosions of different purpose and in different rocks were conducted in the Soviet Union at Semipalatinsk and anovaya Zemlya Test Sites. A total of 340 underground nuclear tests were conducted at the Semipalatinsk Test Site. One hundred seventy-nine explosions (52.6%) among them were classified as these of complete containment, 145 explosions (42.6%) as explosions with weak release of radioactive noble gases (RNG), 12 explosions (3.5%) as explosions with nonstandard radiation situation, and four excavation explosions with ground ejection (1.1%). Thirty-nine nuclear tests had been conducted at the Novaya Zemlya Test Site; six of them – in shafts. In 14 tests (36%) there were no RNG release. Twenty-three tests have been accompanied by RNG release into the atmosphere without sedimental contamination. Nonstandard radiation situation occurred in two tests. In incomplete containment explosions both early-time RNG release (up to ~1 h) and late-time release from 1 to 28 h after the explosion were observed. Sometimes gas release took place for several days, and it occurred either through tunnel portal or epicentral zone, depending on atmospheric air temperature.

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Abbreviations

RNG:

Radioactive noble gas

UNE:

Underground nuclear explosion

CCE:

Complete contained explosion

ICE (RNG):

Incomplete contained explosion

ICE (NRS):

Incomplete contained explosion

NRS:

Nonstandard radiation situation

T ½ :

The radionuclide half-life (sec, min, hour, etc.)

W:

Yield (explosion energy release) in kilotons (kt) of trinitrotoluene equivalent

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Correspondence to Yuri V. Dubasov.

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Dubasov, Y.V. Underground Nuclear Explosions and Release of Radioactive Noble Gases. Pure Appl. Geophys. 167, 455–461 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-009-0026-z

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