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From: deichman@cod.nosc.mil (Shane D. Deichman)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: How is a nuke tested underground?
Message-ID: <1991May9.064441.13838@amd.com>
Date: 8 May 91 21:49:20 GMT
References: <1991May8.034438.11095@amd.com>
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From: deichman@cod.nosc.mil (Shane D. Deichman)


In article <1991May8.034438.11095@amd.com> tlijy@cc.curtin.edu.au writes:
>[H]ow a nuke is tested underground?

O.K., let me blow some cobwebs from my memory...

The United States conducts all of its nuclear testing at the Nevada Test
Site, located in the southern portion of the state.  All tests are done
underground due to reasons which are inappropriate for this newsgroup
(gotcha, Carl!  :-).  [Hee hee --CDR] The basic process involves
drilling a hole into the ground (depths are classified) big enough to
fit the "physics package" into.  Then concrete is poured into the hole
(with experimental equipment such as "collapsizers" which can determine
the rate of expansion of the shock wave) to seal it off.  Usually,
there is another hole drilled within a mile or so for other
experimental equipment.  The data shack is located near this other
hole.

The detonation itself doesn't really affect the earth's crust (remember
that the continents rest on plates separated by faults, which make
great energy dissipators).  Of course, Las Vegas feels it pretty
strongly when a big test goes off (around 150 kt, the limit imposed by
the threshold test ban treaty).  Also, since the surrounding
dirt/rock/etc. is being compressed by the effect of the detonation, it
creates a cavity which sometimes collapses upon itself.  This results
in the large sinkholes you may have seen on the news, making a
pockmarked landscape.

The Soviets used to do most of their testing at the Semipalatinsk site
in Soviet Central Asia -- until the local residents, spooked by the
outcome of Chernobyl and related nuclear hysteria, made enough noise to
cause the Strategic Rocket Forces (the guys with jurisdiction over all
Red Nukes) to move their operation to Novaya Zemlya, an island in the
easternmost portion of the Barents Sea.  I believe they use a similar
method to the Americans, but it's really not my department....

-shane

	[Oh no!  You used the T word!! :-) --CDR]