AN ANALYSIS OF SEISMIC AND ACOUSTIC-SIGNALS MEASURED FROM A SERIES OFATMOSPHERIC AND NEAR-SURFACE EXPLOSIONS

During December 1985, Soviet scientists monitored a series of high-exp losive tests at a bombing range near Kustanai, Kazakhstan, in which bo th seismic and acoustic data were recorded at distances of 6,9.5, and 21 km from bomb blasts at different altitudes. These data show a remar kable variety of seismo/acoustic phenomena associated with energy conv ersion processes at the Earth's surface, including air-coupled Rayleig h waves and acoustic signals produced by propagating seismic disturban ces having phase velocities near the speed of sound in air. These data provide valuable new insights into the mechanisms responsible for the generation of seismic and acoustic signals by atmospheric and near-su rface explosions. In particular, theoretical simulation results are pr esented that are shown to account for most of the features of the obse rved data, and, therefore, it is concluded that the simplified theoret ical models employed in these simulations can provide a quantitative b asis for assessing the effects of source and site conditions on the ch aracteristics of the signals produced by such explosions.