The 9 September 2016 North Korean Underground Nuclear Test

Brief Report| October 31, 2017 The 9 September 2016 North Korean Underground Nuclear Test Lian‐Feng Zhao; Lian‐Feng Zhao aKey Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Beituchengxilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China, zhaolf@mail.iggcas.ac.cn, zhaox@mail.iggcas.ac.cn, yaozx@mail.iggcas.ac.cn Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Xiao‐Bi Xie; Xiao‐Bi Xie bInstitute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California at Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, California 95064, xxie@ucsc.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Wei‐Min Wang; Wei‐Min Wang cKey Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China, Wangwm@itpcas.ac.cn Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Na Fan; Na Fan dKey Laboratory of Exploration Technologies for Oil and Gas Resources, Yangtze University, 111 Daxue Road, Caidian District, Wuhan 430100, China, fannachina@hotmail.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Xu Zhao; Xu Zhao aKey Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Beituchengxilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China, zhaolf@mail.iggcas.ac.cn, zhaox@mail.iggcas.ac.cn, yaozx@mail.iggcas.ac.cn Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Zhen‐Xing Yao Zhen‐Xing Yao aKey Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Beituchengxilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China, zhaolf@mail.iggcas.ac.cn, zhaox@mail.iggcas.ac.cn, yaozx@mail.iggcas.ac.cn Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (2017) 107 (6): 3044–3051. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120160355 Article history first online: 31 Oct 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Lian‐Feng Zhao, Xiao‐Bi Xie, Wei‐Min Wang, Na Fan, Xu Zhao, Zhen‐Xing Yao; The 9 September 2016 North Korean Underground Nuclear Test. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 2017;; 107 (6): 3044–3051. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0120160355 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentBy SocietyBulletin of the Seismological Society of America Search Advanced Search Abstract We characterize the seismic events that occurred in North Korea on 9 September 2016 and South Korea on 12 September 2016. The 9 September 2016 event was identified as an explosion, and the two 12 September 2016 events were identified as natural earthquakes using the P/S (P‐ and S‐wave) spectral ratios, Pg/Lg, Pn/Lg, and Pn/Sn as discriminants. The explosive event was relocated within the North Korean nuclear test site using a relative location method and the 2006 North Korea underground nuclear test as the master event, and the epicenter was identified at 41.2976° N latitude and 129.0804° E longitude. From the regional Lg and Rayleigh waves, the body‐ and surface‐wave magnitudes for the 9 September 2016 event were calculated as mb(Lg)=4.8±0.2 and Ms=4.2±0.1⁠. By adopting an empirical magnitude–yield relation for the body‐wave magnitude, and assuming that the explosion was fully coupled and detonated at a normally scaled depth, we estimated that the seismic yield was ∼6 kt⁠, and the uncertainty range was between 3 and 11 kt. If an overburied depth range between 780 and 1200 m was applied, then the yield would be increased to 16–22 kt. You do not currently have access to this article.