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We May Have Underestimated N. Korea's Latest Nuke Test

In the immediate aftermath of North Korea's sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3, experts described the blast as six or seven times as powerful as the one that destroyed Hiroshima. 

That measure might not even come close. According to research site 38 North, the resulting 6.1 magnitude earthquake must have been caused by the release of roughly 250 kilotons, or a quarter megaton, of energy—equivalent to 17 times the strength of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and very near the estimated maximum yield that can be contained at the Punggye-ri underground test site, report the Washington Post and Bloomberg

This assessment tops all others so far: US intelligence said the blast was 140 kilotons, while South Korea said it was 50 kilotons.

Read the full story on Newser.com

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