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On 2017-09-03 at 03:30:01 UTC, a magnitude 6.3 event was recorded in North Korea. Preliminary results suggests that a nuclear test took place.
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Event parameters (from USGS) ¶
These are preliminary results and are subject to change without notice. Please check the USGS page for the latest official information.
| Magnitude | 6.3 |
|---|---|
| UTC Time | Sunday September 3, 2017 at 03:30:01.940 UTC |
| Location | 41.343°N, 129.036°E |
| Depth | 0.0km (0.0 miles) |
| Region | ENE of Sungjibaegam, North Korea |
| Distance | 22km ENE of Sungjibaegam, North Korea |
| Details | USGS |
USGS Summary pages for the six North Korea events ¶
6) M6.3 2017-09-03 03:30:01 UTC, 41.343°N, 129.036°E, depth 0 km
● Mb 6.3 (US)
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us2000aert#executive
5) M5.3 2016-09-09 00:30:01 UTC, 41.287°N, 129.078°E, depth 0 km
● mb 5.3 (US)
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10006n8a#executive
4) M5.1 2016-01-06 01:30:01 UTC, 41.300°N, 129.047°E, depth 0 km
● Mb 5.1 (US)
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us10004bnm#executive
3) M5.1 2013-02-12 02:57:51 UTC, 41.299°N, 129.004°E, depth 0 km
● Mb 5.1 (US)
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usc000f5t0
2) M4.7 2009-05-25 00:54:43 UTC, 41.303°N, 129.037°E, depth 0 km
● Mb 4.7 (US)
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usp000gxgc#executive
1) M4.3 2006-10-09 01:35:28 UTC, 41.294°N, 129.094°E, depth 0 km
● Mb 4.3 (US)
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usp000eurb#executive
Links ¶
- 38 NORTH (apparent landslides), North Korea’s Sixth Nuclear Test: A First Look
- North Korea’s Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site: Satellite Imagery Shows Post-Test Effects and New Activity in Alternate Tunnel Portal Areas
- CTBTO Technical Findings
- CTBTO summary page
- Lassina Zerbo, CTBTO data ATM modelling shows day-by-day trajectory of potential radionuclide release (Animated GIF)
- URI Seismology, North Korea Nuclear Tests
- Meng (Matt) Wei’s Lab at URI, North Korea Nuclear Test
- IRIS Special Events Archive
- 2017-09-03 mb6.3 North Korea event waveform data request via IRIS DMC Wilber 3
Related Articles ¶
- S.J. Gibbons, F. Pabian, S.P. Näsholm, T. Kværna, S. Mykkeltveit; Accurate relative location estimates for the North Korean nuclear tests using empirical slowness corrections, Geophysical Journal International, Volume 208, Issue 1, 1 January 2017, Pages 101–117, doi:10.1093/gji/ggw379
- Junqing Liu, Li Li, Jiří Zahradník, Efthimios Sokos, Vladimír Plicka; Generalized Source Model of the North Korea Tests 2009–2017. Seismological Research Letters doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0220180106
Figures ¶
[NORSAR / Jan Petter Hansen] North Korea test site.
[Lassina Zerbo, CTBTO] Update of DPRK announced nuclear test yield estimates from different 
sources based on CTBTO data & comparing previous tests.
[Mat Wei, University of Rhode Island] Preliminary interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) 
observation of the North Korea event.
[NORSAR / Jan Petter Hansen] Comparison of all 6 North Korea nuclear tests
[Douglas Dreger, UC Berkeley] Source-type inversion result for the DPRK nuclear test.
[Esteban J. Chaves, University of California, Santa Cruz] The relative source time function at
stations MDJ and INCN computed for the North Korean nuclear test.
[Yang Shen, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island]
Determination of the source locations of the recent tests based on modeling
seismic waves scattered by surface topography.
[Lianxing Wen’s Group, U of Science & Technology of China] Map showing North Korea’s
2017/09/03 and 2016/09/09 nuclear test sites (red star), seismic stations (triangles) that
recorded high-quality waveforms for both tests, and observed vertical components of seismic
waveforms. Seismic waveforms are self-normalized and labeled with station names and the year
of the test.
[Kasey Aderhold, IRIS] Comparison plot of the six most recent and largest North Korea tests,
with amplitudes both normalized and not normalized.Maps shows the locations of the tests
and the test site relative to the seismic station.
[Andy Frassetto, IRIS] The M6.3 seismic event (nuclear/H-bomb? explosion)
in North Korea recorded at nearby seismometer compared to their last nuclear test (M5.3).
[IRIS DMC] Event Plot data product.
Videos & Animations ¶
[The The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization,CTBTO] The 
atmospheric transport simulation based on the hypothesis that a release of radionuclides
occurred immediately and continuously from the location of the seismic detection (*animated
GIF*, click on image to replay).
[Zhigang Peng, Georgia Tech] Seismic Sound video for the 2017 M6.3 North Korean Nuclear test
and subsequent M4.6 collapse event at station MDJ (click on the image to download).
NSF SAGE Facility Event Page
The NSF SAGE Facility event page for this event contains links to additional tools and data.
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