What does underground nuclear testing do to the seismic fault lines?
The underground nuclear bomb explotions (like north korea) apparently creates a shockwave that is detected as an “artifical” earthquake. There are numerous seismic problems in Japan by natural geological processes. Is the nuclear explosion strong enough to trigger an unattended consequence (i.e. tip the balance for a major earthquake of natural causes)? There were a lot of these tests done in Nevada which is not far from California’s San Andreas fault. Does that mean the forces involved are just not strong enough to significantly impact natural geological processes?
these explosions are way too small to make a difference. and the N.K. bomb was a very small bomb, just 500 tons when large bombs are measured in hundreds of kilotons or even megatons.
based on rough estimates, the largest and most deadly earthquakes have released easily more than 30 to 50 times the energy released by the largest nuclear bombs ever detonated (nearly 50megatons)
this being said, it could be that, if you had the science to predict earthquakes’ timing and location of biggest move, and it you had the technology to dig deep, and if you had a 50megaton nuclear bomb, then you could probably influence, up to a point, where or when an earthquake might strike.
that’s, however, not something current human science or technology can do today. and it seems unlikely that this will change over the next 50 years at least.
Pahrump Fault Earthquake Scenario
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Roadside Geology of Northern California (Roadside Geology Series) $7.77 Trade paperback size book is in-depth look at geology of Northern California. 249 pages; photos; maps…. |
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