These Are The First People Who Will Know If North Korea Conducts A Nuclear Test

The National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska (Military.com)

DoD Buzz: The Surprising First People to Know About North Korea’s Bomb Tests

PALMER, Alaska — When North Korea hits “go” on one of its top-secret underground weapons tests, the first person outside that country to know about it isn’t someone monitoring a global web of sensors at the U.S. Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC).

Instead, it’s one of the scientists on shift watching and waiting for a tsunami to appear on monitors in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s innocuous-looking National Tsunami Warning Center, which is nestled next to family homes in this picturesque small town.

This center serves a vital safety role. The ability of these scientists to quickly analyze earthquake data could be the difference between life and death for residents in high-risk tsunami areas.

The center’s high-tech tracking equipment, which can analyze seismic data from around the world within minutes, means the scientists also see other earthshaking events sooner than anyone else, officials here said.

Events such as North Korea’s nuclear bomb tests.

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WNU Editor: Here is some interesting data on the site where North Korea conducts its nuclear tests .... 4th small quake detected since North Korea’s nuclear test (AP). More here .... Latest North Korea earthquake a sign of instability at nuclear test site: Experts (CNBC/Reuters).