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Discrimination between nuclear explosions and earthquakes based on consideration of tectonic ambient shear stress values

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Acta Seismologica Sinica

Abstract

On the basis of fracture mechanics earthquake rupture model, the relations between source parameters and τ 0, the value of tectonic ambient shear stress in the place where the earthquake occurs, have been derived. Thus, we can calculate a large number of values of tectonic ambient shear stress or values of background stress in the place where the earthquake occurs. If nuclear explosions are treated as earthquakes in the calculation, we find that τ 0 values of nuclear explosions have about 20 MPa, which is obviously higher than average τ 0 values of earthquakes with the same magnitude. This result can be used to discriminate nuclear explosions from earthquakes.

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Foundation item: State Natural Science Foundation (49874010).

Contribution No. 01FE2006, Institute of Geophysics, China Seismological Bureau.

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Chen, Ps., Cheng, J. & Bai, Tx. Discrimination between nuclear explosions and earthquakes based on consideration of tectonic ambient shear stress values. Acta Seismologica Sinica 14, 259–262 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11589-001-0003-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11589-001-0003-9

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