Predicting multiphase flow and tracer transport for an underground chemical explosive test

Detecting radionuclide gas seepage from clandestine underground nuclear tests is central to nonproliferation explosion monitoring research. Yet, early-time (<6 day) gas transport driven by the explosive pressure wave remains poorly constrained due to scarcity of field data. We simulate multi-phase gas transport in the vadose zone using pre-shot data from a recent chemical explosion in P-Tunnel at the Nevada National Security Site, USA. Despite using a simplified 2D-radial model, predictions of tracer arrival matched observations within one order-of-magnitude. Our results show how transient blast forcing rapidly mobilizes gases from the cavity into surrounding rock - critical for optimizing sensor placement and test planning. This unique integration of field data and modeling represents a significant improvement in our ability to predict gas migration from underground explosions. More broadly, it offers insights into the coupled dynamics of pressure waves and contaminant transport in the vadose zone, with implications for monitoring and hazard assessment.

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Publication Details

Journal
Scientific Reports
Published
2026-02-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-35868-w
Primary Topic
Radioactive contamination and transfer
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Predicting multiphase flow and tracer transport for an underground chemical explosive test

Brian D. Brown, James Knox, Marcus Barela, Amanda Price et al.
Scientific Reports
Radioactive contamination and transfer
article

Predicting multiphase flow and tracer transport for an underground chemical explosive test

Brian D. Brown, James Knox, Marcus Barela, Amanda Price, Joseph Pope, David Podrasky, Chad T Taguba, W. Junor, C. Mark Johnson, Bobby Quintana, Dana Sirota, Ken Smith, Justin Cole, Kaleb R Howard, John P. Layne, Daniel Seitz, Brian D. Glasgow, Xianjin Yang, James Morris, E. G. Dzenitis, G. G. Euler, M Williams, George Zyvoloski, Lynn A. Wood, Allyson G. Hall, Kyren Bogolub, Kyle Richard Jones, Xuan Shao, Chelsea W. Neil, M Martha Enma Rodriguez, Stuart E. J. Nippress, Johnathan Slack, Andrew Wright, Jason E. Heath, Rodger C. Hall, Earl E. Knight, Rose Borden, Ken Laintz, James M. Peterson, Graham Auld, Alvaro Cruz-Cabrera, Eric E. Eckert, Lisa Garner, Aliya Whitehill, Joshua David Feldman, S. T. Broome, Richard Stead, Bradley G. Fritz, Hakim Boukhalfa, W. Dekin, Jim Fast, Jose Falliner, Christopher S. Kwiatkowski, James G. Griego, Andrew J. Miller, Collin S. Meierbachtol, Carl G. Britt, Clayton C. Hudson, Stephen C. Myers, S. M. Ezzedine, Nicholas Martin Downs, Juan-Antonio Vigil, Eric Robey, Brady Spears, Matthew Ingraham, Dale P Sprinkle, Hector Banuelos, Liane Tarnecki, Stephanie Eras, Andrew Glomski, K. Kleadbeater, Paul Lipkowitz, James Holdcroft, Annabelle Navarro, Devon L. Smith, R. Steven Turley, Thomas Alexander, Rose Perea, J. Ortiz, J. R. Wilson, R. J. Mellors, Ray Yost, Brad G Fritz, Aaron Van Morris, D. A. Lucero, J. L. Bonner, A. A. Holland, J. D. Collard, Barry Roberts, Nichole Valdez, J. L. Lapka, Perry Barrow, Guangping Xu, Rebecca Rodd, Michael Foxe, Graham Kent, Shengtai Li, Beirl De Visser, Matthew Powell, Ben Terry, Mary Stephens, Alexander Couture, Thomas Coleman, Chris Strickland, Kristine Featherston, Hunter Knox, Rees Tatge, Miles A. Bodmer, Benjamin Broman, George Abbott, Brian Memmott, Xavier Miller, Shawn Otto, Ethan Alger, Joshua Tafoya, Scott Grover, Francisco Miranda, Jason Gastelum, Cari Seifert, Ayrton Jenkins, Darrin J. Wallace, Matthew Dietel, Nick Ledoux, Greg Tubbs, Carlos Rendon, Margaret Townsend, Will Kibikas, Kristopher L. Kuhlman, Glenn Crosby, M’balia Tagoe, Esteban Rougier, Adan Alvarez, Gabe Plank, R. Charles Choens, Arturo Bockman, Martin Keillor, Helen White, Sergio Gamboa, Alexander Romanczuk, William Munley, Al Churby, Mike Poskey, Johnny Jaramillo, Agatha Podrasky, Pierre-Yves Le Bas, Cleat Zeiler, Robert White, Jennifer Mendez, David Green, Cliff Wright, Melissa Roth, Erin McCann, Manny Montano, Christine Downs, Danny Bowman, Derek Haas, PE1 Experimental Team, Alex Tafoya, Will Honjas, Walter Schalk, Bill Savran, Michael Keogh, S. Michelle Bourret, Ryan Thompson, Amrit Malach, Jennifer Larotonda, Sheila Peacock, Thom Rahn, Thomas Gascoigne, Ryan McCombe, Aaron Rogall, Tim Walrath, David Gessey, Dylan Hauk, Musa Dea, Philip H. Stauffer, Graham Glavin, Hernan Rico, Taylor Myers
article en

Abstract

Detecting radionuclide gas seepage from clandestine underground nuclear tests is central to nonproliferation explosion monitoring research. Yet, early-time (<6 day) gas transport driven by the explosive pressure wave remains poorly constrained due to scarcity of field data. We simulate multi-phase gas transport in the vadose zone using pre-shot data from a recent chemical explosion in P-Tunnel at the Nevada National Security Site, USA. Despite using a simplified 2D-radial model, predictions of tracer arrival matched observations within one order-of-magnitude. Our results show how transient blast forcing rapidly mobilizes gases from the cavity into surrounding rock - critical for optimizing sensor placement and test planning. This unique integration of field data and modeling represents a significant improvement in our ability to predict gas migration from underground explosions. More broadly, it offers insights into the coupled dynamics of pressure waves and contaminant transport in the vadose zone, with implications for monitoring and hazard assessment.

Scientific ReportsVol. 16(1)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US), University of Nevada, Reno (US), Los Alamos National Laboratory (US), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (US), AWE Nuclear Security Technologies (GB), NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (US), Sandia National Laboratories (US), Nevada National Security Site (US), Los Alamos National Security (United States) (US), The University of Texas at Austin (US)
U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Sustainable cities and communities
Openalex Percentile: Top 66%
Radioactive contamination and transfer
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