A blast big enough to move a mountain! Space-based radar reveals the nuclear weapon tested by North Korea in 2017 was 17 TIMES more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima in 1945
- Researchers used satellite data to examine the impact of nuclear tests
- The data came from space based radars like the one on the ALOS-2 satellite
- The 2017 North Korean test had a yield of between 245 and 271 kilotonnes
- The surface of the mountain where it was tested was moved by a few metres
The nuclear weapon tested in 2017 by North Korea was 17 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb in 1945, a new study using a space-based radar has revealed.
Using the radar on Japan’s ALOS-2 satellite, a team of scientists from India were able to determine the size of the yield of the bomb by looking at the impact on the mountain where it was tested.
They found it had shifted the ground of Mount Mantap by a few metres – and the flank of the peak moved by up to half a metre.
Satellites such as Sentinel-1 (pictured) and ALOS-2 carry advanced synthetic aperture radars that can provide data that can be used to map changing land cover, ground deformation, ice shelves and glaciers. Dr Sreejith says they can also be used in detecting nuclear tests
The explosion was 1,771ft below the summit, and about 1.6 miles north of the entrance to the tunnel used to access the test chamber, researchers discovered.
Based on the deformation of the ground, the team predict that the explosion created a cavity with a radius of 217ft.
The team, led by Dr K. M. Sreejith of the Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, used the satellite data to augment measurements of the tests taken on the ground using seismology equipment.
‘Satellite based radars are very powerful tools to gauge changes in earth surface, and allow us to estimate the location and yield of underground nuclear tests.
‘In conventional seismology by contrast, the estimations are indirect and depend on the availability of seismic monitoring stations,’ said Dr Sreejith.
The data from the satellite study (pictured) found that the explosion was 1,771ft below the summit of Mount Mantap and about 1.6miles north of the entrance to the tunnel used to access the test chamber
In 2003 North Korea withdrew from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Since then they have developed a number of nuclear devices through five underground nuclear tests.
Normally, nuclear tests are measured using the network of monitors that asses the potential size and impact of earthquakes.
There are no openly available seismic data sets from stations near the Mount Mantap test site, meaning that there are no specific details on the size of the explosion or the exact location.
This led to Dr Sreejith and his team to consider whether the satellites used to monitor shifting land masses could provide more detail.
Satellites such as Sentinel-1 and ALOS-2 carry advanced radars that can provide data on changing land cover, ground deformation, ice shelves and glaciers.
Scientists measured the surface above the suspected test chamber on Mount Mantap and discovered it had shifted by a few metres from previous measurements
The North Korean test from 2017 had a yield 17 times greater than the 15kilotonne weapon dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 (pictured)
Scientists measured the surface above the suspected test chamber on Mount Mantap using Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSar) to see if there had been any changes from previous measurements.
InSar uses multiple radar images to create maps of deformation over time and allows scientists to study the sub-surface changes from space.
The team used data from the InSar equipment on the ALOS-2 satellite to discover that the explosion had a yield of between 245 and 271kilotonnes, compared to the 15kilotonne ‘Little Boy’ bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
North Korea confirmed in October that is has conducted a third test of is ‘super-large multiple rocket launcher’ (pictured), which is ‘able to devastate the enemy with super-powered blows’
North Korea could have built up to 40 nuclear weapons by the end of the year, according to Dan Smith, a researcher from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
He says he research that suggests the country has not stopped developing the weapons despite ‘denuclearization’ talks with the US.
Currently nuclear explosions are rarely monitored from space due to a lack of data on the effectiveness of the technology for that purpose, according to Dr Sreejith.
He says that currently operating satellites such as Sentinel-1 and ALOS-2 along with the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar mission, due to launch in 2022, could be used for monitoring the tests in future.
A report into the tests was published in the Geophysical Journal International.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN THE EVENT OF A NUCLEAR ATTACK?
Toronto-based YouTubers Gregory Brown and Mitchell Moffit have detailed a number of tips to prepare for a nuclear bomb.
Pack an emergency supply kit containing water and non-perishable food items.
When a nuclear bomb goes off, it sends out radiation that can ruin your mobile phone and laptop, so preparing battery-powered radios for communication is wise.
For the blast, it is important to get as much concrete between you and the blast as possible.
For the fall-out it’s important to have thick walls and a thick roof, he says, and in a house it is a good idea to blockade all the windows.
But if you are outside and know the blast is coming, you might have time to get to a better shelter.
First you should get on the ground with your hands behind your head and brace yourself for the blast.
Never look at the blast, because it can cause you to go blind temporarily.
The, after the blast, you have 30 minutes to get to the best place.
Once you get inside remove your clothes and clean yourself straight away and blow your nose, to stop the radioactive materials from spreading, and do not use conditioner.
If you cannot have a shower, wipe yourself with a wet cloth.
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