Q&A: What earthquake science can tell us about North Korea's nuclear test

In 1963, at the height of the Cold War, nuclear testing moved underground

North Korea is believed to have conducted a hydrogen bomb test. Seismic shockwaves from the underground test were felt in China, and quickly detected by both South Korea and Japan – both independently confirmed it was a nuclear test. So what can seismic science tell us about such tests?

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What is the history of using seismic techniques to monitor nuclear tests?

The use of what’s called “forensic seismology” to detect and identify nuclear tests dates back almost to the birth of nuclear weapons themselves. In 1946, the US conducted the first underwater test of a nuclear bomb at