Monitors report unusual seismic activity in North Korea

[webfact]

Monitors report unusual seismic activity in North Korea 
FOSER KLUG, Associated Press
HYUNG-JIN KIM, Associated Press

 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean and international monitoring agencies reported Friday an earthquake near North Korea's northeastern nuclear test site, a strong indication that Pyongyang had detonated its fifth atomic test explosion.

 

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that "artificial seismic waves" measuring 5.0 were detected near the Punggye-ri test site, and officials were analyzing whether it was a nuclear test.

 

European and U.S. monitoring services also detected similar seismic activity, with the U.S. Geological Survey calling it an "explosion" on its website.

 

North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test earlier this year, part of its push for a nuclear-armed missile that could one day reach the U.S. mainland.

 

A second nuclear test this year would be a defiant response to Western pressure on Pyongyang to halt its nuclear ambitions. The country has previously conducted tests every three to four years.

 

Any test will lead to a strong push for new, tougher sanctions at the United Nations and further worsen already abysmal relations between Pyongyang and its neighbors. North Korean nuclear tests worry outside governments because they are seen as moving North Korea's scientists and engineers that much closer to their goal of an arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States.

 

North Korea is thought to have a handful of rudimentary nuclear bombs and has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range missile to eventually carry smaller versions of those bombs. After several failures, it put its first satellite into space with a long-range rocket launched in December 2012, and has since launched another such successful launch.

 

Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology. The U.N. calls the North's long-range rocket launches banned tests of ballistic missile technology.

 

Some analysts say the North hasn't likely achieved the technology needed to manufacture a miniaturized nuclear warhead that could fit on a long-range missile capable of hitting the U.S. But there is a growing debate on just how far the North has advanced in its secretive nuclear and missile programs.

___

AP writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-09-09

[webfact]

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korean news agency reports Seoul believes North Korea has conducted 5th nuclear test explosion.

[webfact]

Seoul believes seismic activity was N Korea nuclear test 

 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's Yonhap news agency says Seoul believes North Korea has conducted its fifth nuclear test explosion.

 

The agency's report cited an unidentified government official. South Korea's Defense Ministry couldn't immediately confirm the report.

 

Monitors earlier Friday reported an earthquake near North Korea's northeastern nuclear test site, a strong indication of a nuclear test.

 

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that "artificial seismic waves" from a quake measuring 5.0 were detected near the Punggye-ri test site, and officials were analyzing whether it was a nuclear test.

 

North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test earlier this year, part of its push for a nuclear-armed missile that could one day reach the U.S. mainland.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-09-09

[kotsak]

USGS has labeled this as a  "possible explosion" on their website

 

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10006n8a#executive

[webfact]

Unusual N. Korea seismic activity likely means 5th nuke test 
FOSTER KLUG, Associated Press
HYUNG-JIN KIM, Associated Press

 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea detonated its fifth atomic device on Friday, South Korean officials said, with Seoul and international monitors detecting unusual seismic activity near the North's northeastern nuclear test site.

 

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that "artificial seismic waves" from a quake measuring 5.0 were detected near the Punggye-ri test site.

 

The Defense Ministry said it believed the North conducted a nuclear test, while European and U.S. monitoring services also detected similar seismic activity, with the U.S. Geological Survey calling it an "explosion" on its website.

 

A South Korean Defense Ministry official, who refused to be named because of office rules, said that Seoul detected an estimated explosive yield of 10 kilotons and assessed that it was from a nuclear test.

 

After the fourth test, in January, South Korean lawmaker Lee Cheol Woo said Seoul's National Intelligence Service told him that an estimated explosive yield of six kilotons was detected.

 

The 5.0 magnitude earthquake Friday is the largest of the four past quakes associated with North Korean nuclear tests, according to South Korea's weather agency. Artificial seismic waves measuring 3.9 were reported after North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006; 4.8 was reported from its fourth test this January.

 

North Korea's nuclear tests are part of a push for a nuclear-armed missile that could one day reach the U.S. mainland. A second nuclear test this year would be a defiant response to Western pressure on Pyongyang to halt its nuclear ambitions. The country has previously conducted tests every three to four years.

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen a robust increase in the number and kinds of missiles tested this year. Not only has the range of the weapons successfully tested jumped significantly, but the country is working to perfect new platforms for launching them — submarines and mobile launchers.

 

The longer ranges and mobile launchers give the North greater ability to threaten the tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed throughout Asia.

 

The seismic activity comes on the 68th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's government and just days after world leaders gathered in China for the G-20 economic summit.

 

Any test will lead to a strong push for new, tougher sanctions at the United Nations and further worsen already abysmal relations between Pyongyang and its neighbors. North Korea is already one of the most heavily sanctioned places on earth, and many question whether the penalties work.

 

China, the North's economic lifeline and only major ally, has previously offered cover to Pyongyang, though Beijing has expressed growing frustration with what outsiders call provocations.

 

North Korea is thought to have a handful of rudimentary nuclear bombs and has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range missile to eventually carry smaller versions of those bombs. After several failures, it put its first satellite into space with a long-range rocket launched in December 2012, and has since launched another such successful launch.

 

Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology. The U.N. calls the North's long-range rocket launches banned tests of ballistic missile technology.

 

It's unclear whether North has achieved the technology needed to manufacture a miniaturized nuclear warhead that could fit on a long-range missile capable of hitting the United States. Some analysts believe that the country has the ability to arm shorter range missile with warheads.

 

North Korea's persistent pursuit of missiles and nuclear weapons has long been one of the most intractable foreign policy problems for U.S. administrations. Another nuclear test would be the latest in a long series of events that test the current international approach to trying to contain the North's nuclear ambitions.

 

On Tuesday, North Korea fired three medium-range Rodong missiles that traveled about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and landed near Japan. And last month, a missile from a North Korean submarine flew about 500 kilometers (310 miles), the longest distance achieved by the North for such a weapon. This worried many South Koreans because submarine-based missiles are harder to detect before launch than land-based weapons.

 

Diplomacy has so far failed to stop North Korea's progress. Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for aid were last held in late 2008 and fell apart in early 2009, when North Korea was led by Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, who died in late 2011.

 

North Korea blames the United States and South Korea for its nuclear program, saying long-running "hostility" from Seoul and Washington to its government makes the development crucial for the small country's survival.

 

Among Pyongyang's regular demands are for Washington to withdraw its troops from the region and to sign a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War.

 

The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war, as the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice. Washington stations more than 28,000 troops in South Korea as a buttress against any North Korean aggression. Tens of thousands more are in nearby Japan.

___

AP writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-09-09

[webfact]

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korean president: North Korea's 5th atomic test an act of "fanatic recklessness" .

[Guest]

North Korea just confirmed the test.

 

IIRC this is the largest they have ever had with M5.3 quake. 

[alocacoc]

Congratulation to North Korea.

[webfact]

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea says it has conducted a "nuclear warhead explosion" test meant to counter what Pyongyang calls U.S. hostility.

[craigt3365]

2 minutes ago, alocacoc said:

Congratulation to North Korea.

So you are supporting nuclear proliferation?  Here's why you don't want them to have these weapons.

 

http://thediplomat.com/2016/01/pakistan-and-north-koreas-nuclear-extortion/

 

Quote

The most immediate connection between these two events is the provenance of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program: Pakistani metallurgist A.Q. Khan, the man who stole nuclear secrets from his employer in Holland and passed them on to Pakistan’s military. In the 1990s, Pakistan sold nuclear weapons technology to North Korea, as well as Iran, Libya and possibly other states. A.Q. Khan was briefly held under house arrest until he received a full pardon from Pakistan’s military dictator and president Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Yet, there is another commonality between North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and a fidayeen attack on an Indian airbase: strategy.

 

All it takes is one nutter and we've got a big problem.

[Guest]

Here are the waveforms from all North Korean 5 nuclear tests. 

This was the largest one yet. 

[Guest]

As these special events are good times to learn something new, here is the difference between nuclear detonation and a normal earthquake.

 

 

 

[natway09]

Here's one for Trump to get his teeth into.    555 

[phantomfiddler]

It would appear that the big difference is in the timing. The natural EQ starts out with relatively minor events followed by the major shift, while the nuclear event just goes right into it Ka-Boom

[JetsetBkk]

Let's hope they split the Earth's crust and the lava envelopes Ryongsong Residence.

[MaxYakov]

Children should not be allowed to play with nuclear weapons lest they bomb themselves in the foot. 

 

U.S. Ohio-class Ballistic Missile Submarine

 

Just one of these could shoot the world in the foot. There are 18 of them and then there are the 4 U.K. Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines. (according to Wiki, of course).

 

 

Edited September 9, 2016 by MaxYakov

[Guest]

There should not be a person in this world, who could end our progress and send us back to the iron age by his or hers will. 

That is what nuclear fear is about. There are few people, hopefully smart enough, who can determine the faith of the whole world at the moment. The rest of us just have to hope they are smart enough not to wipe us all from our planet. 

 

[Foexie]

i just wonder how far these idiots will go. They have the whole world against them. Even their friend China.

 

Are they really that stupid or ignorant ?!