Assessment of Seismoacoustic Signals From Wavefield Experiments at a Nuclear Facility in Texas
Description:
Seismoacoustic measurements play a critical role in detecting, locating, and characterizing explosions. Between 2021 and 2024, we carried out four experiments at a facility in the Texas Panhandle to investigate the spatial and temporal evolution of seismoacoustic signatures from explosions at local distances. Southern Methodist University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory jointly deployed a dense array of seismic and acoustic sensors to capture ground motions and acoustic pressure perturbations from 32 targeted shots. We quantified the spatial signal evolution by estimating the decrease in signal correlation as sensor separation increased. Within ~2.5 km of the source, signals were dominated by source characteristics, while path effects, primarily influenced by atmospheric conditions, prevailed at greater distances due to the region's flat terrain. By comparing the spatial evolution in infrasound and air-to-ground-coupled signals across different seasons (summer, fall, and winter), we assessed the variation due to different atmospheric conditions. We found that signal amplitudes were similar within a near-source distance (<0.3 km), while those beyond 0.5 km exhibited significant scatter because of varying weather conditions, particularly wind-induced turbulence from boundary layer heating (smaller amplitude during the summer). We documented that regional infrasound detectability and celerity varied with each experiment and event time, suggesting a seasonal influence of atmospheric winds (less detectability at the western station during the summer). The experiments provided a unique dataset capturing signals across a dense sensor network under varying atmospheric conditions, providing valuable insights for explosion monitoring and advancing understanding of seismoacoustic signal propagation in dynamic environments.
Session: Advancements in Forensic Seismology and Explosion Monitoring - III
Type: Oral
Date: 4/17/2025
Presentation Time: 03:00 PM (local time)
Presenting Author: Junghyun
Student Presenter: No
Invited Presentation:
Poster Number:
Authors
Junghyun Park Presenting Author Corresponding Author junghyunp@smu.edu Southern Methodist University |
Stephen Arrowsmith sarrowsmith@mail.smu.edu Southern Methodist University |
Jake Clarke jwclarke@mail.smu.edu Southern Methodist University |
Chris Hayward hayward@mail.isem.smu.edu Southern Methodist University |
Chengping Chai chaic@ornl.gov Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
Omar Marcillo marcillooe@ornl.gov Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
Monica Maceira maceiram@ornl.gov Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
James Thomas james.o.thomas@pantex.doe.gov PanTeXas Deterrence, LLC |
Joshua Cunningham joshua.cunningham@pantex.doe.gov PanTeXas Deterrence, LLC |
Assessment of Seismoacoustic Signals From Wavefield Experiments at a Nuclear Facility in Texas
Category
Advancements in Forensic Seismology and Explosion Monitoring