[extropy-chat] FWD (SK) Re: Q. for Stan Schwartz [North Korea's weapon test]

[Terry Colvin]

-----Forwarded Message-----
>
>On Mon, Oct 09, 2006 at 09:47:40AM -0700, Graeme Kennedy wrote:
>> 
>> On 9-Oct-06, at 9:41 AM, b b wrote:
>> 
>> >How difficult would it be for North Korea to fake a nuclear test  
>> >via seismographic evidence?
>> 
>> 550mt? Seismic, maybe. Isotopes, unlikely.
>> 
>> Underground tests are confirmable with atmospheric isotope tests.  
>> Usually iridium.
>
>Has this been confirmed yet?  Apparently the seismic evidence
>suggests this was something of a dud (less than a kiloton,
>whereas it should have been over 10 and closer to 20 kilotons)...
>
>Arms Control Wonk suggests that this is evidence that it was genuine,
>as if they were going to fake it they would have made it bigger:
>
>http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/1230/nork-data-it-was-a-dud
>http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/1231/dropping-the-f-bomb-on-norks
>
>-- 
>Jim Lippard