First I just want to say that this is my first post on ATS so i hope I am posting in the correct thread. I found an interesting website that I wanted
to share with you all and see what your thoughts were regarding this info. This info caught my eye because of all the crazy earthquakes popping up
everywhere and I happen to live in Kentucky along/near the infamous New Madrid Fault Zone.
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
cedb.asce.org...
Discusses explosives being detonated in the New Madrid Fault Zone for the purpose of generating large body waves for assessing damping and attenuation
characteristics.
Document type: Conference Proceeding Paper
Part of: Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics (GSP 133)
Abstract: Explosives were detonated at two sites in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) to generate large body waves for assessing damping and
attenuation characteristics. Seismic piezocone penetration tests (SCPTu) were conducted at these sites before and after the blasting, including
immediately, one day, and 8 months later. In order to quantify the magnitudes of uncertainty in horizontal soil variability and equipment errors on
CPT measurements, the variance ranges of CPT data collected at a nearby paleoliquefaction site in the NMSZ were derived. In consideration of the
expected variance ranges, the induced-liquefaction from the blasts was found to have the effect of temporarily lowering some of the cone penetrometer
measurements in the liquefied sand zones during these experiments. However, contrary to anticipated aging effects on the recorded cone tip resistances
and shear wave velocities, observed time effects on field SCPTu measurements following recuperation in these NMSZ experiments did not appear
significant, perhaps due in part to the freshwater environment of the sands.
Can anybody explain this to me, because I am no expert in this area but it makes me quite uncomfortable to know they are detonating along a fault line
so close to home.
Thanks guys!