M5.1 - 24km ENE of Sungjibaegam, North Korea (Probable Nuke Test)

US Geological Survey ^ | February 11, 2012

[Strategerist]

Event Time

2013-02-12 02:57:51 UTC 2013-02-12 11:57:51 UTC+09:00 at epicenter 2013-02-11 21:57:51 UTC-05:00 system time Location

41.299°N 129.081°E depth=1.0km (0.6mi)

Nearby Cities

24km (15mi) ENE of Sungjibaegam, North Korea 34km (21mi) WNW of Hau-ri, North Korea 42km (26mi) NNW of Kilju, North Korea 51km (32mi) WSW of Hoemul-li, North Korea 378km (235mi) NE of Pyongyang, North Korea Related Links

View location in Google Maps

[struggle]

This is only a tad stronger than 2009. Does South Korea and Japan provide North Korea with nitrate fertilizer? You think maybe they’re taking this free fertilizer, stuffing it in a deep tunnel and lighting it up?

There never is any radionuclides released until way after the fact...as if someone forgot to let them go.

[TigerLikesRooster]

I thought the latest head-fake by N. Koreans would last a little longer. I figure they would do it this weekend or even after Chia Head’s birthday. As it turns out, the Fat Boy did not waste time.:-)

[kristinn]

Obama knew!

Yonhap:

2013/02/12 12:48 KST
(URGENT) N. Korea notifies U.S., China of nuclear test plans a day earlier: S. Korean official

[kristinn]

More from Yonhap:

2013/02/12 13:04 KST
(URGENT) U.N. Security Council to hold emergency meeting at 11:00 p.m. (New York time)

[PghBaldy]

Yes, but between this news and the Pope’s news, Obama will get less attention than normal.

[struggle]

Steve Herman ‏@W7VOA A friend just rang from Yangji, PRC saying he felt nothing on 8th floor of bldg. in city where 2006 test was felt.

[Strategerist]

USGS just revised the magnitude upward to 5.1.

At minimum 7 kilotons, could be upwards of 15 kilotons.

It’s highly possible that they’ve matched the Hiroshima bomb.

[Spktyr]

Well, the gun-type is going to be the easiest to make, so it’s the one you’d expect them to duplicate.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Flurry of diplomatic movement here in Northeast Asia. Looks like North Korea did it (as expected due to personnel and materiel movement spotted by intel satellites). 1400 LOCAL TUESDAY

[no-to-illegals]

anyone have a guess as to size and weight?

[DoctorBulldog]

Using the formula developed by Wallace in estimating the Pokhran tests, I’m coming out with a yield between 10-15kt @ 5.2 magnitude.

Will need satellite imaging of the size of the sunken crater to refine my calculations.

Cheers!

[no-to-illegals]

prior to explosion ... size prior and mass (weight)
any thoughts?

[PapaBear3625]

China joins U.S., Japan in condemning North Korea nuclear test

[DoctorBulldog]

Are you asking me if the actual device is now small enough to be placed on top of a rocket and launched?

I don’t know. It depends on how powerful the engines for their rockets are.

I’m guessing that they have a nuclear device about the size, weight, and yield of Little Boy. So, that’s, what? About 10,000 lbs and maybe a 15 kiloton yield.

Cheers

PS - Sorry for the late response. I was using the laptop last night and hate the small keyboard for typing. Fired up “The Monster” this morning to respond to you.

[M Kehoe]

Good morning.

My guess is that the Norks just entered the nuclear club.

I'm guessing the Persians will join soon too.

And 0bama is disarming us...

We do live in interesting times.

5.56mm

[Abathar]

This will be John F’n Kerry’s first real moment as SoS, and I think he’s a man who’s up for this challenge.

*snicker*
Aw hell, I couldn’t even type it with a straight face...

[clintonh8r]

I’m sure the crack national security team is preparing a comprehensive response to the NoKo threat.....

[Tijeras_Slim]

I don’t know if 15KT at 1KM DOB would produce a large enough cavity for a subsidence crater to form.

[GeronL]

Why do those headlines leave out South Korea, anyway?

Are they not part of this story? :p

[TXnMA]

Yep!

http://rev.seis.sc.edu/stations/IC/MDJ

Code: IC.MDJ
Name: Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, China
Location: 44.62 N, 129.59 E