How seismologists are tracking North Korea's nuclear weapons tests - Printable Version +- Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum (https://www.scivillage.com) +-- Forum: Science (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-61.html) +--- Forum: Geophysics, Geology & Oceanography (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-73.html) +--- Thread: How seismologists are tracking North Korea's nuclear weapons tests (/thread-3964.html)

How seismologists are tracking North Korea's nuclear weapons tests - C C - Jul 25, 2017 https://www.sciencenews.org/article/earthquakes-north-korea-nuclear-testing EXCERPT: [...] It was the fifth confirmed nuclear test in North Korea, and it opened the latest chapter in a long-running geologic detective story. Like a police examiner scrutinizing skid marks to figure out who was at fault in a car crash, researchers analyze seismic waves to determine if they come from a natural earthquake or an artificial explosion. If the latter, then scientists can also tease out details such as whether the blast was nuclear and how big it was. Test after test, seismologists are improving their understanding of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program....