Introduction to and Scope of the

Underwater Munitions Issue

1

October 2010

Geoff Carton

CALIBRE Systems, Inc/Support Contractor

Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for

Environment, Safety and Occupational Health

2

Highlights

• Terminology

• Site types

• Scope

• UWM distribution

• Munitions 101

• Conceptual model

• Projects

• Corrosion research

• References

Important Munitions-Related

Terms

3

Military Munitions

Military munitions means all ammunition products and

components produced for or used by the armed forces for

national defense and security, including ammunition products or

components under the control of the Department of Defense, the Coast

Guard, the Department of Energy, and the National Guard. The term

includes confined gaseous, liquid, and solid propellants; explosives,

pyrotechnics, chemical and riot control agents, smokes, and incendiaries,

including bulk explosives, and chemical warfare agents;

chemical munitions, rockets, guided and ballistic missiles, bombs,

warheads, mortar rounds, artillery ammunition, small arms ammunition,

grenades, mines, torpedoes, depth charges, cluster munitions and dispensers,

demolition charges; and devices and components thereof.

(10 U.S.C. 101(e)(4)(A) through (C))

4

-- Military munitions are, by definition, only US munitions

Discarded Military

Munitions (DMM) DMM are military munitions that have been abandoned

without proper disposal or removed from storage in a

military magazine or other storage area for the purpose of

disposal. The term does not include UXO, military munitions that

are being held for future use or planned disposal, or military munitions that

have been properly disposed of, consistent with applicable environmental

laws and regulations.

(10 U.S.C. 2710(e)(2))

5

Unexploded Ordnance

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) – Military munitions that

(A) have been primed, fuzed, armed, or otherwise prepared for

action;

(B) have been fired, dropped, launched, projected, or placed in such a

manner as to constitute a hazard to operations, installations,

personnel, or material; and

(C) remain unexploded whether by malfunction, design, or any

other cause.

(10 U.S.C. 101(e)(5)(A) through (C))

• DMM were taken from storage for disposal

and have less chance of functioning

than UXO

6

Munitions Constituents

Any materials originating from unexploded

ordnance (UXO), discarded military munitions

(DMM), or other military munitions, including

explosive and non-explosive materials, and

emission, degradation, or breakdown

elements of such ordnance or munitions.

(10 U.S.C. 2710(e)(3))

7

UWM Site Types

• Live-fire testing and training ranges (operational; former)

– Surface munitions (e.g., bombs, artillery projectiles)

– Subsurface munitions (e.g., torpedoes, sea mines)

• Defensive sites (e.g., forts, coastal artillery batteries)

• Disposal sites

• Acts of war (e.g., combat sites, sunken vessels)

• Accident sites (e.g., Port Chicago)

• Emergencies (e.g., jettisoned munitions)

8

9

Island Targets

Former Culebra Training Area, Cayo Alkazar Target

10

Littoral Training Areas

Bahia Tamarindo Hondo, Former Culebra Training Area

11

Flooded Ranges

Former Camp Maxey

Disposal Sites

12

Scope of UWM in US Waters

13

Disposal Sites

(Pacific)

14

Source: Chapter 10, Sea Disposal of Military Munitions, FY 09 Defense

Environmental Programs Annual Report to Congress (www.denix.osd.mil)

Disposal Sites

(Atlantic and Gulf)

15

Source: Chapter 10, Sea Disposal of Military Munitions, FY 09 Defense

Environmental Programs Annual Report to Congress (www.denix.osd.mil)

16

Distribution of Munitions

17

18

Munitions Distribution

Fixed Firing Position

• Distribution exhibits a

clear, predictable pattern

• Munitions present will

determined based on

records review and

weapons used at site

• Records may be more

complete than for bombing

ranges or disposal sites

325,000

325,000

330,000

330,000

335,000

335,000

340,000

340,000

4,6

00

,000

4,6

00

,000

4,6

05

,000

4,6

05

,000

4,6

10

,000

4,6

10

,000

4,6

15

,000

4,6

15

,000

4,6

20

,000

4,6

20

,000

4,6

25

,000

4,6

25

,000

UTM Easting (m)

UT

M N

ort

hin

g (

m)

NAD 83Zone 17N

anomalies/acre11

- 20

21 - 4

0

81 - 11

0

41 - 6

0

61 - 8

0

Erie Army Depot

Over the Side Disposal

19

Disposed Munitions

20

• Loose disposal – Meandering trails from

a ship underway

– Trails by munitions type

– Items fairly evenly spaced

• Consolidated in hulks – Little dispersion of munitions

– Items in contact

– Possible galvanic coupling

– Better documentation on

quantities

Hawaii Undersea Military Munitions Assessment (HI-05)

Sonar Survey – loose disposal

Consolidated Disposal

21

Munitions 101

22

Munitions 101

• Families of ammunition

• Energetic materials

• Explosive train

• Munitions fillers

• Bomb components

• Projectile components

23

Families of Ammunition

• Small Arms

• Artillery

• Bombs

• Grenades

• Rockets

• Mines

• Pyrotechnics

• Guided Missiles and Large Rockets (GMLR)

24

Energetic Materials and

Purpose

• High Explosives: Blast, Fragmentation

• Propellant: Propulsive Energy

• Pyrotechnics: Fireworks, Signals

• Incendiary: Initiate Fires

25

Energetic Materials

Explosives Propellants Pyrotechnics

Primary Secondary

Inorganic Organic

Single Base

Double Base

Triple Base

Composite

Flares

Smoke

Tracers

Incendiaries

Explosive Train

• Most munitions contain more than one type of

energetic material

• Energetics are arranged in a particular order called

an “explosive train”

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Explosive Train

• Sequence of energetic materials begin with priming or

initiating material (primer or fuze), through boosting

material, and finally to the main charge

• Sequence is typically from low-yielding, but very

sensitive material (primary explosive) to a high-yielding,

but not as sensitive material (high explosive)

FUZE BOOSTER MAIN CHARGE

High Sensitivity Low

Small Quantity Large

PRIMER PROPELLANT

Explosive Train - Propelling

Primer is initiated by external source (e.g., firing pin,

electric current)

Output from the primer (flame) initiates the igniter

Output from the igniter initiates the propellant 28

Primer Igniter

tube

Propellant

grains

Types of Fillers

• High Explosive

• Incendiary

• Chemical or industrial

agents

• Illumination (pyrotechnics)

• Screening or smoke

• Sub-munitions

• Inert Items

• Riot Control Agents

Components of Bombs

30

Booster

Body

Filler

Components of Artillery

Munitions

Detailed information

on materials is

often available

• Body - steel

• Rotating band –

copper

• Fuze – steel or

brass

32

Conceptual Corrosion and

Release Model

33

Theoretical Distribution of

Releases from Numerous Items

34 Figure after MEDEA, 1997

Initial release - Transient at time of disposal from failure of items

T1 – Corrosive attack on munitions and formation of pinholes

T – Period of maximum release likely to be an extended period

Corrosive Disintegration Period T1 T

Initial Release

Time (decades)

Nu

mb

er o

f M

un

itio

ns

Op

ened

Primary

Release

Release of Low Solubility Fill

35

Content of munitions released over an extended period and is a continuing

source of munitions constituents

Figure after MEDEA, 1997

Release of High Solubility Fill

36

Fill of munition rapidly enters water column

Figure after MEDEA, 1997

Projects

37

Hawaii Undersea Military Munitions

Assessment Program (HUMMA, HI-05)

• Develop efficient and cost effective method for

characterizing munitions sea disposal sites

• Deep water site – approximately 400 meters

• South of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

• SONAR survey of about 70 km2

• Manned submersibles and ROVs used

• Seawater, sediment and biota collected and analyzed

• Report available (www.hummaproject.com)

• Additional SONAR survey planned for 2011 to south of

original study area

38

HUMMA Photographs

HUMMA Conclusion

on Corrosion • Deterioration level ranged from almost pristine to

virtually disintegrated

• Varied within similar munition types in the same general

area, as well as between different types of munitions

spread over a wide region

• Generally, munitions with thicker casings were better

preserved

• Most munitions were not obviously breached

• Many had “skirts” or columnar “pedestals” beneath that

appear to be the result of rusting, possibly in combination

with leakage of internal MC 40

HUMMA “Pedestals”

41

M47 Bomb

• 16,000 M47A2 100-lb

mustard filled bombs

disposed in 1944 south of

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

• 40% were leaking at time

of disposal

• Painted body made of

0.061 in (1.5 mm) thick

sheet steel

• Several possible M47

bombs observed at a depth

of about 1,800 feet 42

Possible M47 Bombs

Off Hawaii

43

Possible M47 Bombs

44

Ordnance Reef (HI-06) Projects

• Army and Navy funded NOAA survey (2006) to obtain screening-level data of potential explosives safety and human health risks

• DASA(ESOH) established (2007) Ordnance Reef Coordinating Council (mirrors TPP)

• University of Hawaii completed (2009) two rounds of sampling (Remedial Investigation (RI)) to address data gaps – Focus on human health

– Screening level ecological risk assessment

• RI (sampling results) report expected in early 2011

• Outreach efforts - expanded 45

Ordnance Reef Projects

• NOAA:

– Ocean current monitoring

• Shallow (under 300 feet) and deep (about 8,000 feet) sensor

networks collected data over a 1 year period

• Data being used to develop a model to predict fate of potential

release

• Incorporating data into UH circulation models and export to NOAA

3D fate and transport models

• Final report expected by mid-2011

– Pre-removal coral survey completed, with recommendations

for minimizing impacts to coral to be provided in Nov/Dec

2010

46

47

Ocean Current Monitoring

48

Deep Water Site

~ 8,000’

• Current speed

• Current direction

Ordnance Reef Projects

• Army Environmental Quality Technology Program

demonstrations (Apr 11) of commercial technology:

– Adapted from oil exploration technology for the remote

recovery of sea disposed munitions

– NOAA input used in order to minimize impacts of recovery

on coral

– Barge mounted technology (existing and innovative) for

destruction of recovered munitions

49

Corrosion Research

50

Early Corrosion

Rate Predictions

• Estimates based on corrosion

rate and wall thickness

• Materials include carbon or

wrought steel, aluminum

(6061), and brass alloys

• Steel bodied munitions

46 – 749 years

• Aluminum M55 – 2 years

• Ton container – 539 years

51 Epstein, et al, 1973

Corrosion of 1-Ton Containers

• NASA/Army Research Laboratory study

• Major factors affecting

corrosion are:

– Dissolved oxygen

– Temperature

52 Reference: NASA/ARL, Analysis of the Effects of Sea

Disposal on a One-Ton Container, July 2007

NASA/ARL Conclusions

• Difficult to bracket life expectancy of containers

• To improve confidence of prediction using existing

data need:

– Thorough survey of literature on deep-water corrosion in

order to learn about specific characteristics

– Specific account of materials, construction techniques and

processes (e.g., welding process, mill scale present)

– Types of coatings and processes, and relative age and

condition prior to disposal

– Comprehensive literature review of case studies involving

similar materials (such as with shipwrecks) should be

performed

53

Best References on Ranges

References on individual sites:

• Formerly Used Defense Sites Reports

• Defense Environmental Programs, Annual Report to

Congress, Munitions Response Site Inventory

(deparc.xservices.com/do/mmrp)

• Service historical offices

• Nautical charts

54

Best References on Disposals

Most up-to-date data on quantities and locations of disposals

• Chapter 10, Sea Disposal of Military Munitions, FY 09

Defense Environmental Programs Annual Report to Congress

(www.denix.osd.mil)

Overview of issue

• U.S. Disposal of Chemical Weapons in the Ocean:

Background and Issues for Congress, Congressional Research

Service Report RL33432, 2007

• Munitions Dumped at Sea: A Literature Review,

Beddington and Kinloch, Imperial College London 2005 (http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/77CEDBCA-813A-4A6C-8E59-

16B9E260E27A/0/ic_munitions_seabed_rep.pdf)

55

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Contact Information

Geoff Carton

CALIBRE Systems, Inc/Support Contractor

Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army

for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health

Geoff.Carton@calibresys.com