Yoo Yong-kyu, a South Korean official at the national earthquake situation room of the Korea Meteorological Administration in Seoul, explains the location of an artificial earthquake detected from North Korea's nuclear test site in Punggye-ri on Sept. 3. Photo by Yonhap
Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Satellite imagery taken of North Korea's nuclear site a day after its sixth nuclear test shows numerous "surface disturbances" and landslides, according to analysts writing for 38 North, the Johns Hopkins University website dedicated to North Korea issues.
The images were taken on Sept. 4, in the aftermath of the artificial quake generated after a 100-kiloton explosion rocked the area -- and tremors were felt across the China border and as far as Vladivostok, Russia.
"These disturbances are more numerous and widespread than what we have seen from any of the five tests North Korea previously conducted," say analysts Frank V. Pabian, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., and Jack Liu.
Tremors have lifted out fields, but the powerful explosion on Sunday did not trigger a mountain collapse -- the event that analysts fear most because of the chemicals and radiation that could subsequently be released into the atmosphere.
Scientists have estimated the bomb could have released at least the same energy as 100 kilotons of TNT, with some analysts concluding the bomb could have unleashed as much as 120 kilotons.
North Korea is showing no signs of slowing down provocations.
Speaking to the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday during the Conference on Disarmament, North Korean Ambassador Han Tae Song said his country is to deliver "more gift packages" to the United States.
"The recent self-defense measures by my country, DPRK, are a gift package addressed to none other than the U.S.," Han said. "The U.S. will receive more gift packages from my country as long as it relies on reckless provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on the DPRK."
