Telltale gas confirms former axis of evil North Korea detonated a nuclear device

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http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12819-telltale-gas-confirms-korean-nuclear-test.html

15:01 23 October 2007

Unusually high levels of a radioactive noble gas detected in northern Canada are final confirmation that North Korea detonated a nuclear device underground in October 2006, say UN researchers.

The result demonstrates that a UN system to monitor nuclear explosions worldwide is up and running, and able to "sniff" such events from a great distance. Atmospheric levels of an isotope of the noble gas xenon suggest the test was relatively small and carried out underground.

On 3 October 2006, the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced that it was going to conduct a nuclear test.

On 9 October 2006, seismic monitoring stations detected a tremor, and the US Geological Survey determined that it had originated in North Korea, suggesting that the test had been carried out. Unfortunately, seismic data is not able to differentiate between nuclear and other types of explosion, such as those used in mining.

The North Korean government confirmed this, but scientists said they would reserve final judgement regarding the size and nature of the explosion, preferring to defer to seismic data combined with chemical evidence, rather than rely on the government's claims.


http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/mg19626273.400-nuclear-nose-sniffs-out-north-korean-detonation.html

Nuclear nose sniffs out North Korean detonation

27 October 2007

Magazine issue 2627

WHAT does a nuclear explosion smell like? The United Nations knows. After "sniffing" unusually high levels of the noble gas xenon-133 in the atmosphere, it has confirmed that North Korea detonated a nuclear device underground in October last year.

The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is installing a worldwide system to monitor nuclear explosions, and the confirmation of the North Korean device is its first test. The system will ultimately include 321 monitoring stations, which will sense seismic tremors, sound waves and radioactivity in the atmosphere. Over 210 stations are already up and running, of which 80 are able to sniff out nuclear explosions.

Such blasts create telltale signs of radioactivity, including xenon-133. Between 21 and 25 October 2006, the UN's xenon monitoring station at Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territories detected atmospheric levels of xenon-133 seven times greater than usual.

Factoring in the prevailing winds, the ...

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