Analogy model test by experimental simulation of the subsidence zone associated with the 3 September 2017 North Korean nuclear test.

Abstract

The surveillance of nuclear tests relies on the seismic network and the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data. Using the surface displacements such as subsidence craters caused by a nuclear test is an effective tool to monitor and estimate source characteristics of nuclear tests. In this study, based on the scaling laws of the process of subsidence crater formation, we developed an explosive model test in a vacuum chamber using the yield and buried depth estimated by Wang et al. to simulate the surface subsidence zone and collapse the crater associated with the 3 September 2017 North Korean nuclear test, and compared with their research results. The explosive simulation apparatus independently developed by the Army Engineering University of PLA is also introduced. The simulated results indicate that the radii of the subsidence zone and collapse crater are ∼257 m and ∼154 m, respectively, which are close to the empirical formula and InSAR observations. The explosive model test in a vacuum chamber could help to characterize the surface displacements induced by nuclear tests and provide an effective method for nuclear monitoring and characterization around the world.