A shallow magnitude 3.4 tremor has been detected near North Korea's nuclear test site, but experts believe it was a natural earthquake. South Korea said the specific soundwaves of man-made quakes were not recorded, while China said the tremor's features were of a natural quake. International nuclear test monitors expressed a similar view.
North Korea - which has recently carried out a series of nuclear tests - has so far made no comments. Pyongyang's latest massive nuclear test on 3 September was widely condemned at the UN, triggering more international sanctions against North Korea. The size of Saturday's tremor was smaller than the earthquakes registered as a result of all of North Korea's six nuclear tests.
After the last test, which North Korea said was a hydrogen bomb, initial reports from the US Geological Survey (USGS) put the tremor at magnitude 5.6 with a depth of 10km (six miles) - but this was later upgraded to magnitude 6.3 at 0km. Saturday's quake was recorded at a depth of 0km in North Hamgyong province, home to the Punggye-ri nuclear site, South Korea's meteorological agency said.
The USGS also said it occurred in the nuclear test area - but added that its seismologists assessed it as having a depth of 5km. South Korea said no specific soundwaves generated by artificial earthquakes were detected. China's Earthquake Administration said the quake was not a nuclear explosion and had the characteristics of a natural tremor. The administrations had initially said it was a "suspected explosion"
Analysts from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), the UN-backed monitoring group, said the quake was "unlikely man-made".
CTBTO executive secretary Lassina Zerbo tweeted that the quake occurred "about 50km from prior tests".
BBC
No comments:
Post a Comment