Stories
US Conducts Underground Blast to Catch Secret Nuclear Tests
- •The US Department of Energy carried out a massive non-nuclear chemical underground explosion at the Nevada National Security Site.
- •The experiment aims to improve detection technology for identifying very low-yield or secret nuclear tests conducted by other nations.
- •This development comes after the US previously accused China of conducting a covert low-yield nuclear test in the Lop Nur region in 2020, an allegation Beijing denies.
- •The newly gathered seismic data will help scientists enhance computer models and algorithms to detect decoupled underground nuclear blasts.
Key Questions Answered
The US Department of Energy conducted a non-nuclear chemical explosion at the Nevada National Security Site to collect data on underground impacts and signal emissions. This data will be used to improve computer models and algorithms that help detect covert or low-yield nuclear blasts.
While high-yield nuclear tests produce strong vibrations and craters that are easy to monitor, low-yield tests are much harder to detect. Furthermore, if an explosion is conducted deep inside an underground cavity—known as a decoupled explosion—the vibrations reaching the surface are weak, making it challenging to catch hidden nuclear tests.
The US accused China of conducting a covert, low-yield nuclear test in the Lop Nur region in June 2020, an allegation that China explicitly denies. Although two small seismic signals were recorded on June 22, 2020, international monitoring organizations found no definitive proof or clear signs to conclusively verify a nuclear test.
