Six Nuclear Tests Woke Fault Line… "Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Possible"

[Anchor]

Research results indicate that North Korea's nuclear tests could trigger a major earthquake in the Punggye-ri area. The shockwaves from the six rounds of nuclear testing have reportedly awakened dormant fault lines, already initiating seismic activity, and a large earthquake could accelerate the eruption of Mount Paektu.

Reporter Seo Donggyun.

[Reporter]

Research findings have been published indicating that North Korea's past nuclear tests in Punggye-ri, Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province, could activate massive fault lines in the area and lead to a major earthquake.

An international joint research team, including Pusan National University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, analyzed seismometers in South Korea and around Mount Paektu and confirmed that natural earthquakes are continuing to occur as the fault lines have been reactivated by the Punggye-ri nuclear tests.

The research team stated that it confirmed the reactivation of fault lines spanning at least 20 kilometers in the Punggye-ri region.

[Kim Kwang-hee / Professor, Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Pusan National University: It seems that the length of the fault is over 20 kilometers. If it is 20 kilometers or more, talking in terms of earthquake magnitude, I think an earthquake of magnitude 6.2 or 6.3 could sufficiently occur.]

No natural earthquakes had occurred in the region from 23 BC until before North Korea's nuclear tests began.

Fault lines that had been dormant for thousands of years were awakened by North Korea's nuclear tests, initiating seismic activity.

[Kim Kwang-hee / Professor, Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Pusan National University: Earthquakes did not occur frequently in that region. However, a few weeks after the nuclear tests ended, earthquakes began to occur in that area, and as time passes, the frequency of earthquakes increases and their magnitudes gradually grow larger.]

Since the sixth and final nuclear test until last year, 1,339 earthquakes have occurred in the area, of which a total of 90 were of magnitude 2.0 or higher.

On July 3, 2023, an earthquake of magnitude 3.3 also occurred.

Mount Mantap in Punggye-ri is an area with an asymmetric structure featuring various slopes, characterized by a complex structure of stress, which is the force exerted on underground bedrock.

However, as six rounds of nuclear tests were conducted, the stress structure of the region was redistributed.

The sixth nuclear test, which had the largest magnitude, was measured at 6.3 by the U.S. Geological Survey, and satellite images also captured the destruction of the surrounding environment of Mount Mantap following the test.

Furthermore, evidence was found that the peak of the mountain sank by 0.5 meters and shifted 3.5 meters horizontally due to the shock from the nuclear test.

Research results also suggest that if a major earthquake of magnitude 6.0 or higher occurs in Punggye-ri, it could impact Mount Paektu, located 120 kilometers to the north.

The findings of this study were published in the international academic journal Science.

(Video by: Kim Hak-mo | Video Editing by: Park Na-young | Design by: Kim Min-hyung, Kim Han-gil, Park Cheon-ung, Lee Jun-ho, Yang Gi-tae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.