Yeah - about that. There’s essentially no chance a nuclear test would cause Paektu/Baekdu to erupt. The US set off several multi-megaton tests in Alaska within 90km of three active volcanoes and they did - nothing.
In theory, if Baekdu was close to eruption, the extra kick from a large test could give it enough energy to erupt, but at the moment, although the mountain is seismically active and does seem to be in a more active phase associated with molten material intruding at depth, it does not appear to be close to eruption.
The seismicity in the region following the nuclear tests are down to relaxation of Mount Mantap which was put under enormous stress by the explosions, and by slumping of the mountain’s slopes. They’re shallow and do not have the distinctive profile associated with magma.
The real warning for that story - it came from the Express, a paper that makes the Daily Mail read like Nature.
My interpretation of clearing the area because of a potential for a volcanic eruption is: It’s plausible, but the most likely thing is that it’s a cover story to quietly clear the area due to NK’s nuclear test and the collapse of the testing facility
There are reports of radioactive leaks into the surrounding areas so, yeah. I’m pretty sure this is a hushed up evacuation.
It is easy to tell nukes from earthquakes: nukes have a very sharp pressure wave and no shear wave. So, if you have a plot of land where the odd volcano keeps the land prices down, but is quiet enough to drill a borehole. then it would be a fine place for your underground test.
I don’t know we know enough about what triggers earthquakes or volcanos. However, the consensus of option is ‘just about anything if they are ready to go’, and ‘nothing at all if they aren’t’. If I were dictator of a rogue nation, I would stick my nukes next to a volcano if I had one, just to see what happens. Pretty much like everything else he does, really.
I’ll just leave this oldie-but-goodie here. His dad was something else.
BTW, DPRK has their own documentary about propaganda. Enjoy as they quote Chomsky, Dawkins, Seneca, and Hitler, and make unsubstantiated generalizations about only partially-true particularities.
why do birds