ScienceEarthquake activity reportedly increased years after North Korea’s 2017 nuclear test
Science reports that a new study found small quakes were still occurring in 2025 along two suspected faults near Mount Mantap, some 20 to 30 kilometers from the test site.
TLDR
Science, citing a new study, reports that earthquake activity increased in the years after North Korea detonated its largest nuclear device beneath Mount Mantap in 2017. Small aftershocks typically fade quickly as surrounding rock adjusts to an underground blast, Science explains. But small quakes near the Punggye-ri test site persisted into 2025, occurring along two suspected faults—some 20 to 30 kilometers from the test site.
After North Korea detonated its largest nuclear device beneath Mount Mantap in 2017, scientists weren’t surprised to detect a few earthquakes in the immediate aftermath of the underground test. A massive explosion fractures and deforms surrounding rock, typically triggering…
