North Korea’s Nuclear Test Site Has Collapsed ... And That May Be Why Kim Suspended Tests

South China Morning Post ^ | 04/25/18 | Stephen Chen

[Enlightened1]

The mountain’s collapse after a fifth blast last fall has led to the creation of a massive ‘chimney’ that could leak radioactive fallout into the air, researchers have found

North Korea’s mountain nuclear test site has collapsed, putting China and other nearby nations at unprecedented risk of radioactive exposure, two separate groups of Chinese scientists studying the issue have confirmed.

The collapse after five nuclear blasts may be why North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared on Friday that he would freeze the hermit state’s nuclear and missile tests and shut down the site, one researcher said.

The last five of Pyongyang’s six nuclear tests have all been carried out under Mount Mantap at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea’s northwest. North Korea suspends nuclear and missile tests

One group of researchers found that the most recent blast tore open a hole in the mountain, which then collapsed upon itself. A second group concluded that the breakdown created a “chimney” that could allow radioactive fallout from the blast zone below to rise into the air.

[dr_lew]

Well, these NK tests are purportedly underground, and the supposed catastrophe is that they are LEAKING into the atmosphere. So there you are.

[datricker]

There is a bar in Las Vegas called The Atomic Liquor Lounge which proportedly one could sit at the bar and watch the detonations. I wonder if it still there -- looks like it is Take a peek

[dr_lew]

You had me, and then you lost me. I.e. link no good.

[steve86]

Link fine here. People would stand on the roof of the bar and then when the flash came they would be startled and jump. That’s where the term ‘flash dance’ came from.

[KavMan]

China probably told Kim to knock it off or be assassinated lol

[DaveA37]

“.... and everyone lived happily ever after”..............

Don’t bet on it.

[DaveA37]

“That’s all crap”......”
“And yes I’m a Chen E and nuclear physics dude”..

I assume you meant “Chem E” and NOT that you are some Chinese “nuke dude”. :)

[Ban Draoi Marbh Draoi]

Rods from God?

[TXnMA]

"Has anybody found this in Google Maps?"

Sorry I missed your query. The main Punggye-ri Nuke Test Site (the portals pictured above) is at

41°16'49.16"N, 129° 5'9.21"E

BTW, I heartily recommend Google Earth over Google Maps for "intel" work.

GE's (Google Earth's) "time slider" is invaluable for monitoring changes over time at a site.

BTW, for accuracy and repeatability, I also recommend setting GE's "Elevation Exaggeration"(in "Preferences") to the minimum (0.01), removing all tilt, and setting "North up" (clicking the "N" at top right).

Happy Hunting!
TXnMA
 

[dr_lew]

Thanks. I had actually found this spot, but I had a lower contrast, I think, so I didn’t recognize it. I thought the dark spot above the point labeled “Portal” in your included image looked like a “pit”, possibly created by a collapse.

[TXnMA]

The collapse site is a couple of miles away -- up on the upper slopes of the mountain. Think about it: the test has to be deep inside the mountain, at the end of a L O N G (sealed) tunnel -- nowhere near the portal.

Not sure I have the collapse site placemarked, but, i'll check.

Are you able to handle KML files? I might be able to put a KML file of placemarked Nork NTSite features in a folder on my domainserver for you to pick up via FTP...

TXnMA
 

[dr_lew]

Are you able to handle KML files?

If I knew what a KML file was, I could tell you :-)

[TXnMA]

As my old German math prof used to say. "Sorry! I keep forgetting that volk aren't born mit dat knowledge!"

"Keyhole" was our first series of really effective reconsats. "KML" ( a "markup" language like HTML) -- aka "Keyhole Markup Language" -- was developed to manipulate the data from the Keyhole sats. Google supposedly acquired it from a CIA front company...

"Play" with Google Earth for a while... That sidebar on the left is your "KML Catalog" (similar to the ArcGIS Catalog for GIS mapping).

Every time you create a "Push-Pin" Placemark, it's stored in your catalog. If it's checked, the pin itself (and its label) are visible. No matter where on earth you're located, double-clicking on that placemark's name will "fly" you right to that point -- and zoom you right in on the exact view you had when you created it -- including the date and time of the overflight!

BTW, the "clock" ion at top will open up a "time slider" at upper left that will allow you to select between different overflight dates for your location. (You can "time-travel" back into history -- and pick the best [cloud-free] views, etc.)

Have fun! And, if you have questions, FReepMail me...

FRegards,
TXnMA