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Nuclear Tests

Historical nuclear weapons tests and explosions

Showing 27 of 27 tests

First Nuclear Test

North Korea

Underground

Date

Oct 9, 2006

Test Site

Punggye-ri

Estimated Yield

4 kt

Magnitude

4.3

Depth

700 m

Radiation Level

moderate

Notes

North Korean first test, low yield

Chagai-I

Pakistan

Underground

Date

May 28, 1998

Test Site

Chagai

Estimated Yield

25 kt

Magnitude

4.16

Depth

457 m

Radiation Level

moderate

Notes

Pakistani nuclear tests, series of 5 detonations

Pokhran-II Shakti-1

India

Underground

Date

May 11, 1998

Test Site

Pokhran

Estimated Yield

58 kt

Magnitude

4.58

Depth

400 m

Radiation Level

moderate

Notes

Thermonuclear test, part of Pokhran-II series

Peacekeeping

United States

Underground

Date

Sep 23, 1992

Test Site

Nevada Test Site

Estimated Yield

5.9 kt

Magnitude

Radiation Level

medium

Bilby

USA

Underground

Date

Sep 23, 1992

Test Site

Nevada Test Site

Estimated Yield

1.4 kt

Magnitude

3.8

Depth

914 m

Radiation Level

low

Notes

Last US nuclear test before moratorium

Last Semipalatinsk Test

Soviet Union

Underground

Date

Oct 19, 1989

Test Site

Semipalatinsk

Estimated Yield

10 kt

Magnitude

4.8

Radiation Level

high

LAST SOVIET TEST

Soviet Union

Underground

Date

Oct 19, 1989

Test Site

Semipalatinsk

Estimated Yield

32 kt

Magnitude

4.6

Depth

1,200 m

Radiation Level

moderate

Notes

Final Soviet nuclear test before moratorium

Last Atmospheric Test (China)

China

Atmospheric

Date

Oct 16, 1980

Test Site

Lop Nur

Estimated Yield

4 kt

Magnitude

4.3

Radiation Level

high

Smiling Buddha

India

Underground

Date

May 18, 1974

Test Site

Pokhran

Estimated Yield

12 kt

Magnitude

4.25

Depth

107 m

Radiation Level

moderate

Notes

First Indian nuclear test, officially claimed as peaceful nuclear explosion

Cannikan

USA

Underground

Date

Nov 6, 1973

Test Site

Nevada Test Site

Estimated Yield

5 kt

Magnitude

4.5

Depth

823 m

Radiation Level

moderate

Notes

Underground containment test

Faultless

USA

Underground

Date

Jan 19, 1969

Test Site

Nevada Test Site

Estimated Yield

540 kt

Magnitude

6.5

Depth

1,524 m

Radiation Level

high

Notes

Large underground test, contained

Test 6

China

Atmospheric

Date

Jun 17, 1967

Test Site

Lop Nor

Estimated Yield

3,300 kt

Magnitude

6.2

Radiation Level

extreme

Notes

First Chinese hydrogen bomb test

Centaure B

France

Atmospheric

Date

Sep 14, 1966

Test Site

Fangataufa Atoll

Estimated Yield

80 kt

Magnitude

4.8

Radiation Level

high

Notes

French atmospheric test series

Centaure A

France

Atmospheric

Date

Jul 2, 1966

Test Site

Mururoa Atoll

Estimated Yield

120 kt

Magnitude

5.1

Radiation Level

extreme

Notes

First French atmospheric test at Mururoa

596

China

Ground

Date

Oct 16, 1964

Test Site

Lop Nor

Estimated Yield

25 kt

Magnitude

Radiation Level

extreme

Notes

First Chinese nuclear test

Tsar Bomba

Soviet Union

Atmospheric

Date

Oct 30, 1961

Test Site

Novaya Zemlya

Estimated Yield

50,000 kt

Magnitude

Radiation Level

extreme

Notes

Largest nuclear weapon ever detonated, Soviet test

Gerboise Bleue

France

Ground

Date

Feb 13, 1960

Test Site

Reggane

Estimated Yield

70 kt

Magnitude

4.75

Radiation Level

extreme

Notes

First French nuclear test

Operation Grapple

United Kingdom

Atmospheric

Date

May 15, 1957

Test Site

Christmas Island

Estimated Yield

750 kt

Magnitude

5.3

Radiation Level

extreme

Notes

British thermonuclear test, high altitude

Hurricane/Totem

United Kingdom

Ground

Date

Oct 15, 1953

Test Site

Maralinga

Estimated Yield

10 kt

Magnitude

Radiation Level

high

Notes

First Maralinga test series

Operation Totem 1

United Kingdom

Ground

Date

Oct 15, 1953

Test Site

Emu Field

Estimated Yield

10 kt

Magnitude

Radiation Level

high

Notes

British test at Emu Field, Australian desert

Ranger Baker

USA

Ground

Date

Mar 28, 1953

Test Site

Nevada Test Site

Estimated Yield

8 kt

Magnitude

3.8

Radiation Level

high

Notes

Part of Ranger series, fallout reached Utah and Arizona

Upshot-Knothole Annie

USA

Ground

Date

Mar 17, 1953

Test Site

Nevada Test Site

Estimated Yield

16 kt

Magnitude

4.3

Radiation Level

extreme

Nearby Stations Affected

St. George, Fredonia

Notes

Upshot-Knothole series test

Hurricane

United Kingdom

Ground

Date

Oct 3, 1952

Test Site

Montebello Islands

Estimated Yield

25 kt

Magnitude

Radiation Level

extreme

Notes

First British nuclear test

Ranger Able

USA

Ground

Date

Jan 27, 1951

Test Site

Nevada Test Site

Estimated Yield

1.2 kt

Magnitude

Radiation Level

high

Notes

First Nevada Test Site detonation

RDS-1

Soviet Union

Ground

Date

Aug 29, 1949

Test Site

Semipalatinsk

Estimated Yield

22 kt

Magnitude

4.1

Radiation Level

extreme

Notes

First Soviet nuclear test

Able

USA

Atmospheric

Date

Jul 1, 1946

Test Site

Bikini Atoll

Estimated Yield

23 kt

Magnitude

Radiation Level

extreme

Notes

Bikini Atoll test series, first underwater test (Baker)

Trinity

USA

Ground

Date

Jul 16, 1945

Test Site

White Sands Missile Range (Alamogordo)

Estimated Yield

22 kt

Magnitude

5.3

Radiation Level

extreme

Notes

First nuclear weapon test, codenamed Trinity