The rise, collapse, and compaction of Mt. Mantap from the 3 September 2017 North Korean nuclear test
Abstract
Surveillance of clandestine nuclear tests relies on a global seismic network, but the potential of spaceborne monitoring has been underexploited. Here, we determined the complete surface displacement field of up to 3.5 m of divergent horizontal motion with 0.5 m of subsidence associated with North Koreas largest underground nuclear test using satellite radar imagery. Combining insight from geodetic and seismological remote sensing, we found that the aftermath of the initial explosive deformation involved subsidence associated with sub-surface collapse and aseismic compaction of the damaged rocks of the test site. The explosive yield from the nuclear detonation with seismic modeling for 450m depth was between 120-304 kt of TNT equivalent. Our results demonstrate the capability of spaceborne remote sensing to help characterize large underground nuclear tests.
Fig. 4 Summary deformation scenario for the 3 September 2017 North Koreas Nuclear test. The unfolding of events includes the succession of (A) explosive, (B) collapse, and (D) compaction processes, with different associated surface displacements. The implosive source (C) may be shallow and only contribute localized surface displacements. The radar imagery reveals the deformation (arrows in (D)] resulting from the three processes.
P!
Titanium telephone poles from space.
“... the mountains interior might have changed after a hydrogen bomb test...”
Gee, ya think? I guess they didn’t use enough 2x4s to shore it up.
It’s about 80 miles from the Chinese border.
Close enough for radioactivity to waft over if the mountain opened up.
I was reading several variations of how these scientists etc. are looking at it......some saying it’s worse than they thought. At any rate it’s a pile of radio active dust and dirt! So Kim saying he would close this site is really he wants someone else to clean up the mess he left it in!
I guess the Chinese should have taken care of Fatboy Kim a long time ago.