{"id":423,"date":"2023-07-28T09:39:55","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T13:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/echoes-of-the-steppe\/?p=423"},"modified":"2023-08-30T02:43:38","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T06:43:38","slug":"beneath-the-earths-surface-unraveling-the-legacy-of-underground-nuclear-tests-and-peaceful-nuclear-explosions-1961-1989","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/echoes-of-the-steppe\/2023\/07\/28\/beneath-the-earths-surface-unraveling-the-legacy-of-underground-nuclear-tests-and-peaceful-nuclear-explosions-1961-1989\/","title":{"rendered":"1961-1989: Underground Nuclear Tests and \u201cPeaceful\u201d Nuclear Explosions"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1961, with the launch of the first Soviet underground nuclear test, the trajectory of nuclear testing took a significant turn. The transition to underground testing came about following the implementation of the Partial Test Ban Treaty<\/a> in 1963, which restricted atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. Over 300 (and up to nearly 5001<\/a><\/sup>Richards, Paul G. \u201cGeneral Summary.\u201d A short statistical description with special reference to the UNTs at Semipalatinsk (STS). Accessed July 29, 2023. Link.<\/a><\/span>) test explosions were conducted beneath the surface, rendering them less visible but by no means less real in their effects.<\/p>\n

Among these many tests, at least thirteen underground detonations resulted in the release of radioactive gases into the atmosphere, raising significant concerns about their potential consequences.2<\/a><\/sup>Stegnar, Peter, and Tony Wrixton. \u201cSemipalatinsk Revisited: Radiological Evaluation of the Former Nuclear Test Site.\u201d IAEA BULLETIN, 1998. Link.<\/a><\/span> In fact, others suggest that as many as one in three nuclear explosions resulted in the release of radioactive gases into the atmosphere.3<\/a><\/sup>Kassenova, Togzhan. Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up the Bomb. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n

The “Degelen Mountain” site housed 209 underground tests, encompassing nuclear warhead and device explosions, large-scale testing of engineering constructions, and technological equipment. Similar underground nuclear weapon tests occurred at the Balapan (105 tests), Sary-Uzen (24 tests), and Telkem (2 excavation tests) sites. These tests aimed to assess nuclear warheads and devices, test strategic objects such as missile silos (some equipped with missiles), evaluate unified command bunkers, nuclear weapons storages, and their technological equipment, and develop industrial technologies.4<\/a><\/sup>Lukashenko, S., A. Kabdyrakova, O. C. Lind, I. Gorlachev, A. Kunduzbayeva, T. Kvochkina, K. Janssens, W. De Nolf, Yu. Yakovenko, and B. Salbu. \u201cRadioactive Particles Released from Different Sources in the Semipalatinsk Test Site.\u201d Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 216 (May 1, 2020): 106160. Link.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Map illustrating boundaries obtained from the US State Department Library, prepared by Paul G. Richards, Mellon Professor Emeritus of the Natural Sciences at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. The underground nuclear test data utilized in this map is sourced from An et al.’s “A Digital Seismogram Archive of Nuclear Explosion Signals, Recorded at the Borovoye Geophysical Observatory, Kazakhstan, from 1966 to 1996.” The map was generated using RStudio. Data can be found here.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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In November 1965, a pivotal conference convened in the Soviet Union to explore potential industrial and scientific applications for nuclear explosions. Distinguished scientists and weapons designers from the Soviet nuclear weapons program, including the renowned Andrei Sakharov, participated in this significant gathering. During the conference, these scientists displayed keen interest in the prospects of an ambitious program that became known as the “Program for the Utilization of Nuclear Explosions in the National Economy.5<\/a><\/sup>“Nordyke, Mllo D. \u201cThe Soviet Program for Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Explosions.\u201d Science & Global Security 7, no. 1 (January 1, 1998): 1\u2013117. Link.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The primary objective of this program was to harness nuclear explosions for various industrial purposes. These applications included the construction of artificial water reservoirs and channels, seismic probing for minerals exploration, the establishment of underground storage facilities, and the development of techniques to extinguish oil fires, among others. This involved developing specialized explosives to enable the use of nuclear devices in unique industrial scenarios while also seeking ways to minimize the radioactivity generated by such explosions.6<\/a><\/sup>Lukashenko, S., A. Kabdyrakova, O. C. Lind, I. Gorlachev, A. Kunduzbayeva, T. Kvochkina, K. Janssens, W. De Nolf, Yu. Yakovenko, and B. Salbu. \u201cRadioactive Particles Released from Different Sources in the Semipalatinsk Test Site.\u201d Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 216 (May 1, 2020): 106160. Link.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

As part of the Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy program thirty-nine7<\/a><\/sup>\u201cPeaceful Nuclear Explosions | PNE – World Nuclear Association.\u201d Accessed July 28, 2023. Link.<\/a><\/span> nuclear explosions, commonly known as Peaceful Nuclear Explosions (PNE), were carried out throughout Kazakhstan.8<\/a><\/sup>Figures for number of PNE tests and applications should only be taken as approximate, given the lack of agreement between sources. Discrepancies between sources could be a result of several factors, for example: secrecy surrounding PNE research; more than one simultaneous explosion taking place in some PNE tests; and some tests being carried out alongside weapons testing.<\/span><\/p>\n

One notable explosion, in the borehole 1004 that aimed to construct the artificial “Atomic” Lake<\/a>, demonstrated that the contamination risks associated with underground nuclear explosions far outweighed the economic benefits.9<\/a><\/sup>Aidarkhanova, A., N. Larionova, Zh. Tleukanova, A. Mamyrbaeva, R. Ermakova, Yu. Svetacheva, M. Aktayev, and A. Panitskiy. \u201cThe Character of Radionuclide Contamination of Natural Lakes at the Territory of the Semipalatinsk Test Site.\u201d Journal of Environmental Radioactivity<\/i> 255 (December 1, 2022): 107041. Link.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Despite the ongoing military experiments, the local population persisted in their traditional activities, using nearby lands for grazing livestock and gathering hay. Schoolchildren often joined adults in these endeavors. Life in Kazakhstan carried on amidst the backdrop of nuclear testing.10<\/a><\/sup>Kassenova, Togzhan. Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up the Bomb. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, although underground tests were less dangerous than atmospheric tests in terms of above-ground radioactive fallout, they were hardly less in their ability to cause serious localized harm. The Soviet Union’s pursuit of peaceful nuclear explosions in Kazakhstan during the Cold War era, while garnering less media attention due to the decreased risk of global fallout, undeniably inflicted serious localized harm on the region.<\/p>\n

These consequences manifested in various ways, from house damage resulting from massive earthquakes induced by the tests to disruption in sewage and water supply systems, destruction of deep wells that provided water to numerous areas and livestock barns, and rendering entire pastures useless. The aftermath of these tests also placed a substantial financial burden on local authorities, who often lacked the resources to address the extensive damage caused by the explosions.11<\/a><\/sup>Kassenova, Togzhan. Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up the Bomb. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the shadow of international tensions and the focus on global nuclear issues, the detrimental impact of PNE on local communities received limited attention. Yet, the experiences of those living in the vicinity of the test sites bore witness to the hidden costs of these experiments. The upheaval and destruction unleashed by these nuclear explosions uprooted the lives of countless individuals, leaving a lasting legacy of environmental, social, and economic disruption.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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