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Blast Wave Observations for Large-Scale Underwater Explosions in the Dead Sea

Chapter · August 2017

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-44866-4_91

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 Blast Wave Observations for Large-Scale Underwater Explosions
in the Dead Sea
Y. Gitterman1, L. Sadwin2

1
Seismology Division, Geophysical Institute of Israel, POB 182, Lod, 7110101, Israel
2
Sadwin Engineering Consultancy, Kefar Pines, Israel

Corresponding Author: yefimg@gii.co.il

ABSTRACT
A series of three large-scale underwater chemical explosions of 0.5 ton, 2.06 tons and 5 tons of Chenamon (ANFO-
like slurry explosives) were detonated in the Dead Sea at a water depth of ~70 m, during November 1999. The main
objective of the experiment was calibration of seismic stations in the Middle East that provide monitoring of
underground nuclear tests, using accurate travel times of seismic waves. The largest shot produced a seismic
magnitude of about 4, and was recorded at distances up to 3500 km. Results of a study of hydro-acoustic effects and
source phenomenology features of underwater explosions are presented.
The video-records and audio tracks demonstrated interesting physical phenomena, such as a “cavitation hat”,
epicenter plume, arrivals of hydro-acoustic blast waves and bubble pulsations in air-acoustic waves. Recordings of
pressure-time history for the two larger explosions at distances of about 700 m revealed several phases, propagating
by different paths. Arrival time measurements and seismic station records contributed to verification of the charge
depth, explosion-to-sensor distances, and first bubble-pulse period.
The peak pressures of the water shock waves observed significantly exceeded the values expected from a similar
TNT charge in ocean water. This fact can be attributed to the unequaled acoustic impedance of the Dead Sea water,
being about 40% higher than in the ocean.

Keywords: the supersaline Dead Sea, underwater explosion, bubble effect, water shock waves

INTRODUCTION
The main objective of the explosion experiment was calibration of seismic stations in the Middle
East that provide monitoring of underground nuclear tests, using accurate travel times of seismic
waves. Apart from absence of any aquatic life in the Dead Sea, the choice of this site was also
caused by unique properties of supersaline Dead Sea water: density ρ=1236 kg/m3 and acoustic
velocity of sound C*=1770.6 m/s [1], much higher than in the ocean (C=1533 m/s, ρ0=1025
kg/m3). It is well-known that such properties of water enhance the seismic effect of an underwater
explosion.
A series of three large-scale underwater chemical explosions of 0.5 ton, 2.06 tons and 5 tons was
conducted by the Geophysical Institute of Israel (GII) in the Dead Sea at water depths of 70-73.5
m (485 m below the sea level), in November 1999 [2]. The primary blasting agent, the Chenamon
explosive (detonation velocity 5500 m/s, energy 3.7656 MJ/kg, the manufacturer’s estimate as
~80% of the TNT energy), is based on Ammonium Nitrate, and has a density of 1300-1400
kg/m3, which is higher than the Dead Sea water density, and therefore no ballast was used to sink
the explosives. The sea depth in the experiment area was 260-265 m. Details of marine operations
and experiment configuration are shown on Figure 1.
The largest shot produced a seismic magnitude of about 4, and was recorded at distances up to
3500 km [2]. We present observations of some source phenomena of underwater explosions and
the analysis of shock-wave measurements.
 a b

Figure 1. Configuration of the 1999 Dead Sea Calibration Explosions (a); charge design (b).

UNDERWATER EXPLOSION PHENOMENA

A video camera was placed on a raft, at a distance of ~700 m from the shot site (Figure 1a). The
video and audio tracks provided observations and approximate time measurements of the physical
phenomena of interest, such as an epicenter white plume, “cavitation hat”, arrivals of water blast
waves (Figure 2).
a b

Figure 2. Aerial view of a “plume” in the epicenter

several seconds after the first shot (ex.1 of 0.5 ton)
(a); a horizontal white strip on the water surface – the
“cavitation hat” at 0.2 s, created upon the direct
shock wave arrival to the water surface; then the
camera defocusing at 0.44 s, caused by the shock
wave, arrived at the raft (ex.2 of 2.06 tons) (b); the
“cavitation hat” and a center water fountain, at 0.2 s
(ex.3 of 5 tons) (c).
The video-record of the largest ex.3 has an impressive audio-track providing 3 specific howling
sounds, repeating at intervals of about 0.8 s, estimated from the spectrogram (Figure 3). The
interval corresponds well to the bubble pulse period: a predicted value and an empirical estimate
0.78 s obtained from seismic
records spectra [3] (see below
Table 1, Figure 6). Evidently,
this audio-effect is produced by
the gas bubble pulsations,
transmitting energy to the
atmosphere and generation of
acoustic signals propagating in
the air.

Figure 3. Spectrogram of the

video soundtrack for the 5-ton
explosion (sampling 8192 Hz),
reveals clear bubble pulsations
with an interval ~0.8s.

SHOCK-WAVE OBSERVATIONS
Special hydroacoustic measurements were provided to record water shock waves at close
distances from two explosions, 2.06 and 5 tons, by two piezoelectric sensors. Such records have
never been made before in hyper-saline water with unique properties as in the Dead Sea. The
water pressures were measured by piezoelectric underwater blast sensors (type 138A01 of PCB
Piezotronics) by Sadwin Engineering Consultancy, Israel. Two measurement gages were located
near the raft, at distances of 636-816 from the explosion epicenter, at a depth of 25-30 m (Figure
1a). The pressure-time history was recorded by a computer system with a 500 kHz sampling rate
for eight channels (62.5 kHz per channel); the record duration was only 0.7 sec due to restrictions
of computer memory and disc space; the distances were determined by the LOCATE program
developed by NSWC [4]. The recordings of pressure-time revealed several phases, propagating
by different paths (Figure 4).
Figure 4a shows the pressure-time history for the 2-ton explosion recorded by two gages spaced
at about 25 m, which provides an estimate of the shock wave speed about C*=1794 m/s. The
excess of the acoustic velocity 23 m/s (1.4%) is possibly related to extremely high pressures in
the shock wave at short distances. Speed addition of the shock wave is given by:
∆𝑃
∆𝐶 = (1)
𝜌×𝐶
For measured peak pressure ~700 kPa at distance 770 m (Figure 1a), density  = 1236 kg/m3 and
acoustic velocity C = 1770.6 m/s, Eq. 1 gives only C=3.2 m/s. However, at 100 m, where the
pressure is estimated as 5.2 MPa (see Eq. 2), the speed addition can reach 24 m/s.
 a b

Figure 4. Water pressure-time history of explosions: (a) 2.06 tons at distances 791 (gage 1 at
depth 30 m) and 816 (gage 2 at depth 25 m); (b) 5 tons at distance 636 m (gage at depth 30 m).

From the explosion of 2.06 tons the video-camera was defocused by the shock wave impact on
the raft at ~0.44 s, yielding a raft distance from the shot ~789 m (using the shock wave speed
about Cs=1794 m/s), which corresponds well to the estimate 791 m, by the LOCATE program.
Three phases, P1, P2, and P3, are observed in records of 2.06 ton shot; one more phase P4 is
found for the 5 ton explosion (Figure 4). The direct wave P1 and surface reflected P2 waves can
be easily identified, whereas interpretation of P3 and P4 is uncertain in a trade-off between
bottom-reflected, bottom-refracted, and surface bottom-reflected phases. Eneva et al. [5] analyzed
the shock wave phases observed for the largest (5 tons) Dead Sea explosion, when modeling
surface reflections, bottom reflections, and refractions due to sound-velocity gradients in upper-
bottom layers. According to this analysis, P4 is obviously the bottom reflection, and P3 is the
"precursory arrival", called in seismology as the "head" wave propagating along the water –
bottom interface. The bottom sound velocity that fits best the width of P3 is 3500 m/s.

ENHANCED PEAK PRESSURES AND BUBBLE PERIODS.

In a form similar to that provided by Cole [6], an empirical relationship for estimation of the
shock wave peak pressure for deep underwater explosions in ocean/lake water is presented in [7]:
𝑟 −1.13
𝑃𝑚 (𝑀𝑃𝑎) = 53.1 × ( 3 ) (2)
√𝑊
where W is the TNT weight (kg), r is the lateral distance (m). The pressure-distance curves for the
two explosions 2.06 and 5 tons of TNT, calculated by Eq. 2 (for the ocean water case) and the
measured values are presented on Figure 5.
The fundamental bubble periods Tb (and bubble frequencies fb) were calculated by a Willis [8]
empirical equation, modified for the Dead Sea conditions (Table 1):
3
√𝑊 1
𝑇𝑏 = 2.1 × 5/6 , 𝑓𝑏 = (3)
𝜌 𝑇𝑏
(𝑃0 + 𝑑 × 𝜌 )
0
where W is the TNT weight (kg), P0 is the barometric pressure at the level of the Dead Sea
(10.778 m of water column during the experiment), d is the shot depth (m), ρ and ρ0 is the water
density in the Dead Sea and in the ocean accordingly.

Figure 5. Calculated (by Eq.2) peak

water pressure versus distance
curves for underwater explosions of
5 (red) and 2.06 tons (blue) TNT
charges in ocean water, and
measured values (stars of
appropriate color) for the Dead Sea
shots.

Actual bubble periods were determined from seismograms at stations of the Israel Seismic
Network (ISN). A clear frequency banding was observed in spectrograms (Figure 6) due to the
bubble effect. Firstly the bubble frequencies were estimated from the harmonic series in
smoothed spectra of several
ISN stations, and averaged,
then the bubble periods were
calculated (Table 1).

Figure 6. Record of 5-ton shot

at seismic station EIL
(distance 212 km) of ISN
(below) and spectrogram
showing bubble spectral
modulation.
 Table 1. Predicted and measured bubble periods for two Dead Sea explosions.

Shot Depth d, Bubble period Tb, s

m predicted measured (averaged
(by Eq.3) from ISN spectral maxima)
2.06 tons 70 0.603 0.561
5 tons 73.5 0.781 0.782

The Chenamon explosive energy corresponds to about 80% of the TNT energy, therefore peak
pressures of the water shock waves and bubble periods from the Dead Sea explosions could be
expected to be smaller than calculated for TNT charges. However, the measured peak pressures
significantly exceeded the values predicted for the equal TNT explosions in ocean water (Figure
5); and the measured bubble period for 5 tons was equal. Possibly, this fact can be attributed to
the unique acoustic impedance of the Dead Sea water, being about 40% higher than in the ocean.

CONCLUSIONS
The Dead Sea large-scale calibration experiment provided unique observations of underwater
explosion effects. Due to the exclusive high acoustic impedance of the supersaline water,
recorded peak pressures in water shock waves were higher than expected for the ocean. The
resulted enhanced seismic effect was useful for calibration of regional seismic stations that
provide monitoring of underground nuclear tests.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Research work of one of the authors (Y.G.) was supported by the Israel Ministry of Immigrant
Absorption.

REFERENCES
[1] Anati D. A. (1997). The hydrography of a hypersaline lake, in: T. M. Niemi, Z. Ben-
Avraham, and J. R. Gat (eds.), The Dead Sea: the Lake and its Setting, Oxford Univ. Press,
New York–Oxford, pp. 89–103. (Oxford monographs on geology and geophysics No. 36).
[2] Gitterman Y. and A. Shapira (2001). The Dead Sea gives life to a unique seismic calibration
experiment, EOS, Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, 82, No. 6.
[3] Gitterman, Y., Pinsky, V. and Shapira, A. (2003). Improvements in Monitoring the CTBT in
the Middle East by the Israel Seismic Network. Final Report, DTRA-TR-01-35, sponsored by
the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, GII Rep. No.591/61/97(34), 196 pp.
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Science and Technology of energetic materials, the Japan. Explosives Society; 66, 4; 356-358.
[5] Eneva M., J. L. Stevens, J. Murphy, and B. D. Khristoforov (2000). Effect of charge depth in
Russian hydroacoustic data from nuclear and HE explosions, in: Planning for Verification of
and Compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, Proc. of the 22nd
DoD/DoE Seismic Research Symp., New Orleans.
[6] Cole R. H. (1948). Underwater Explosions, Princeton Univ. Press.
[7] Joachim C. E. and C. R. Welch (1997). Underwater shocks from blasting, in: Proc. of the 23rd
Conference on Explosive and Blasting Technique, Int. Soc. of Explosive Engineers, Las
Vegas–Cleveland, pp. 526–536.
[8] Willis D.E. (1963). Seismic measurements of large underwater shots, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am.,
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