Effect of the explosive type on rock damage and seismic radiation

Chemical explosions are often used as a proxy to study seismic wave radiation from nuclear explosions. One of the important features of the chemical explosions is the release of explosive gases during the explosive detonation, which is often overlooked in seismic studies. Recent observations from chemical explosions indicate that explosive gas products may significantly affect the radiated seismic waves. For example, it is known that a higher amount of gas released in a chemical explosion results in an increase in rock damage due to the opening and propagation of fractures. However the effect of the cavity gas and the rock damage affects the far-field seismic radiation is not well understood. A field experiment intended to elucidate the effect of the explosive gas in the cavity was conducted in 2016 (GAS2016). The new experiment is a follow-up study, which will provide insight into the questions that remained unanswered after the 2016 experiment. The new experimental study will include several new explosions recorded by a near-source to local seismic network.