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Base Surge

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

  • 671 Accesses

Synonyms

Blast; Ground-based surge; Ground surge; Pyroclastic density flow; Pyroclastic surge; Surtseyan eruption

Definition

A destructive, dilute, fast-moving (30 m/s) turbulent density current (flow) of particles and gas and/or liquid that is the result of an explosion.

Discussion

Base surges are highly destructive and dangerous (Nakada, 2000). The term has been used to describe high-velocity (up to 30 m/s) flows of material emanating from explosions. The term was first used to describe the ground-hugging clouds observed after underwater and underground nuclear explosions (e.g., Trinity Atomic Web Site). In photographs of nuclear explosions, there is a characteristic ring-shaped cloud that moves outward close to the ground – the base surge (Trinity Atomic Web Site Figure 2.97). It was first documented at the eruption of Capelinhos volcano, Azores October 10th, 1957 and then adopted by the volcanological community based on the work of James G. Moore (1966a, b) and his observations of...

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Bibliography

  • Moore, J. G., Nakamura, K., and Alcaraz, A., 1966a. The September 28–30, 1965 Eruption of Taal Volcano, Philippines. Bulletin of Volcanology, 29-1, 75–76.

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  • Trinity Atomic Web Site, Nuclear weapons: History, Technology, Consequence in Historic Documents, Photos and Video. http://www.cddc.vt.edu/host/atomic/nukeffct/undrwtr.html;http://www.cddc.vt.edu/host/atomic/nukeffct/enw77b2.html.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Magma Energy Corp., 410-625 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Dr. Catherine J. Hickson

  2. Alterra Power Corp., Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Dr. Catherine J. Hickson

Authors
  1. Dr. Catherine J. Hickson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine J. Hickson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

    Peter T. Bobrowsky

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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Hickson, C.J. (2013). Base Surge. In: Bobrowsky, P.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_22

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