The methodology employed to generate a series of maps to visualize the historical significance of the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan was grounded in rigorous data analysis and geospatial visualization techniques. The primary tools utilized in the creation of the maps were the simple features (“sf”) and “ggplot2” packages in R.
The first step involved sourcing authoritative boundary information of the Semipalatinsk test site. The boundary data was obtained from the website https://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~richards/Semi.boundaries.html. This website is credited for providing precise boundary data compiled by Paul Richards, Mellon Professor of the Natural Sciences (emeritus) Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, derived from the US State Department Library.
Having obtained the boundary information, it was transformed into a geojson file through meticulous data manipulation. The geojson file served as the foundation for constructing the visual outline of the Semipalatinsk test site on the maps.
Subsequently, critical historical data on nuclear tests conducted at the Semipalatinsk site was acquired from An et al.’s comprehensive research titled “A Digital Seismogram Archive of Nuclear Explosion Signals, Recorded at the Borovoye Geophysical Observatory, Kazakhstan, from 1966 to 1996.” This data encompassed essential attributes, including the geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) of each nuclear test.
The gathered data was then processed and integrated into the maps using the “ggplot2” package. The package facilitated the accurate representation of the nuclear test data, effectively superimposing each bomb’s geographical coordinates onto the previously created geojson outline.
The resulting map showcases the spatial distribution of nuclear tests conducted from 1966 to 1996 in the Balapan, Murzhik, and Degelen subareas of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site.
