Water Shock Waves Resulting From Explosions Above An Air Water Interface

When an explosion occurs in the atmosphere above a water surface, most of the energy in the resulting shock wave will be reflected upon striking the air-water interface; however, some portion of the energy will be transmitted through the interface and propagate into the water. The experimental study, designed to provide quantitative information on the induced water shock as well as verigy theoretical findings, was conducted in a trapezoidal-shaped test basin 250 ft long, 150 ft wide (midpoint), and 20 ft deep. It involved the detonation of some sixty 21-lb spheres of TNT positioned at various distances above the water surface, and pressure-time histories of the induced water shocks were measured at spatial positions underwater for depths ranging from just beneath the surface to middepth. (Author).

This is the first book on explosion-generated water waves. It presents the theoretical foundations and experimental results of the generation and propagation of impulsively generated waves resulting from underwater explosions. Many of the theories and concepts presented herein are applicable to other types of water waves, in particular, tsunamis and waves generated by the fall of a meteorite. Linear and nonlinear theories, as well as experimental calibrations, are presented for cases of deep and shallow water explosions. Propagation of transient waves on dissipative, nonuniform bathymetries together with laboratory simulations are analyzed and discussed.