1978 Soviet nuclear tests

none List of nuclear weapons tests of the Soviet Union July 2022 July 2022 1978 Nuclear Blast Animation Rising Mushroom Cloud.gif Nuclear blast animation Soviet Union Atyrau, Kazakhstan; Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Khanty-Mansi, Russia; Krasnoyarsk, Russia; NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia; Sakha, Russia; Sary-Uzen/Murzhik, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan 1978 31 underground shaft, tunnel 180 ktTNT in 1977 Soviet nuclear tests 1979 Soviet nuclear tests 1978 Soviet nuclear tests The Soviet Union's 1978 nuclear test series was a group of 31 nuclear tests conducted in 1978. These testsA bomb test may be a salvo test, defined as two or more explosions "where a period of time between successive individual explosions does not exceed 5 seconds and where the burial points of all explosive devices can be connected by segments of straight lines, each of them connecting two burial points and does not exceed 40 kilometers in length". V. N. Mikhailov Catalog of World Wide Nuclear Testing Begell-Atom, LLC http://www.iss-atom.ru/ksenia/catal_nt/1.htm 2013-12-18 https://web.archive.org/web/20140426102201/http://www.iss-atom.ru/ksenia/catal_nt/1.htm 2014-04-26 dead followed the 1977 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the 1979 Soviet nuclear tests series. + Soviet Union's 1978 series tests and detonations Name The US, France and Great Britain have code-named their test events, while the USSR and China did not, and therefore have only test numbers (with some exceptions – Soviet peaceful explosions were named). Word translations into English in parentheses unless the name is a proper noun. A dash followed by a number indicates a member of a salvo event. The US also sometimes named the individual explosions in such a salvo test, which results in "name1 – 1(with name2)". If test is canceled or aborted, then the row data like date and location discloses the intended plans, where known. Date time (UT) Local time zoneTo convert the UT time into standard local, add the number of hours in parentheses to the UT time; for local daylight saving time, add one additional hour. If the result is earlier than 00:00, add 24 hours and subtract 1 from the day; if it is 24:00 or later, subtract 24 hours and add 1 to the day. Historical time zone data obtained from the IANA time zone database.Time Zone Historical Database iana.com http://www.ietf.org/timezones/ March 8, 2014 LocationRough place name and a latitude/longitude reference; for rocket-carried tests, the launch location is specified before the detonation location, if known. Some locations are extremely accurate; others (like airdrops and space blasts) may be quite inaccurate. "~" indicates a likely pro-forma rough location, shared with other tests in that same area. Elevation + height Elevation is the ground level at the point directly below the explosion relative to sea level; height is the additional distance added or subtracted by tower, balloon, shaft, tunnel, air drop or other contrivance. For rocket bursts the ground level is "N/A". In some cases it is not clear if the height is absolute or relative to ground, for example, Plumbbob/John. No number or units indicates the value is unknown, while "0" means zero. Sorting on this column is by elevation and height added together. Delivery,Atmospheric, airdrop, balloon, gun, cruise missile, rocket, surface, tower, and barge are all disallowed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sealed shaft and tunnel are underground, and remained useful under the PTBT. Intentional cratering tests are borderline; they occurred under the treaty, were sometimes protested, and generally overlooked if the test was declared to be a peaceful use.Purpose Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down. DeviceDesignations for test items where known, "?" indicates some uncertainty about the preceding value, nicknames for particular devices in quotes. This category of information is often not officially disclosed. YieldEstimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie). FalloutRadioactive emission to the atmosphere aside from prompt neutrons, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it is all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and "all" if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, where known, and the measured amount of radioactivity released. References Notes 481481 dmy 1978 3 19 03:46:59.82 ALMT (6 hrs) Sary-Uzen/Murzhik, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 2691 49.80621 78.11687 481 inline 000460460 m on + underground shaft,weapons development 000130000 13 kt 482 – 1482 dmy 1978 3 26 03:56:59.96 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 701 49.7643 77.9993 482 - 1 inline 000444704 m on – 260 m on tunnel,weapons development 000300000 30 kt 482 – 2482 dmy 1978 3 26 03:57:00.0 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 701 49.7643 77.9993 482 - 2 inline 000704704 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 483 – 1483 dmy 1978 4 22 03:07:00.01 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 204 49.7469 78.1251 483 - 1 inline 000579579 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000200000 20 kt 483 – 2483 dmy 1978 4 22 03:07:00.0 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 204 49.7469 78.1251 483 - 2 inline 000579579 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 483 – 3483 dmy 1978 4 22 03:07:00.0 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 204 49.7469 78.1251 483 - 3 inline 000579579 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 484484 dmy 1978 5 24 03:07:00 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 185p 49.74721 78.05809 484 inline 000394394 m on + tunnel,safety experiment 000000010 1000 kg 485485 dmy 1978 5 29 04:56:59.85 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 133p 49.7986 78.1022 485 inline 000686686 m on + tunnel,weapon effect 000030000 3 kt 486486 dmy 1978 6 2 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 185-pp 49.74828 78.06006 486 inline 000394394 m on + tunnel,safety experiment 000000010 1000 kg 487487 dmy 1978 6 11 02:57:00.14 ALMT (6 hrs) Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1010 49.91406 78.80121 487 inline 000330330 m on + underground shaft,weapons development 000580000 58 kt 488488 dmy 1978 7 5 02:47:00.05 ALMT (6 hrs) Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1077 49.90376 78.86647 488 inline 000330330 m on + underground shaft,weapons development 000870000 87 kt 489 – 1489 dmy 1978 7 28 02:46:59.89 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 104 49.7488 78.0893 489 - 1 inline 000623623 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000600000 60 kt 489 – 2489 dmy 1978 7 28 02:46:59.9 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 104 49.7488 78.0893 489 - 2 inline 000623623 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 489 – 3489 dmy 1978 7 28 02:46:59.9 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 104 49.7488 78.0893 489 - 3 inline 000623623 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 489 – 4489 dmy 1978 7 28 02:46:59.9 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 104 49.7488 78.0893 489 - 4 inline 000623623 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 489 – 5489 dmy 1978 7 28 02:46:59.9 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 104 49.7488 78.0893 489 - 5 inline 000623623 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 490 Kraton 4 (Craton)490 Kraton 4 (Craton) dmy 1978 8 9 18:00:00.8 YAKT (9 hrs) Sakha, Russia: KR-4 63.678 125.522 490 Kraton 4 (Craton) inline 000000 – 560 m on underground shaft,seismic sounding 000220000 22 kt Seismic probing program. 491 – 1491 dmy 1978 8 10 07:59:57.93 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-18 73.291 54.883 491 - 1 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,weapons development 001800000 180 kt 491 – 2491 dmy 1978 8 10 07:59:57.9 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-18 73.291 54.883 491 - 2 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 491 – 3491 dmy 1978 8 10 07:59:57.9 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-18 73.291 54.883 491 - 3 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 491 – 4491 dmy 1978 8 10 07:59:57.9 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-18 73.291 54.883 491 - 4 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 491 – 5491 dmy 1978 8 10 07:59:57.9 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-18 73.291 54.883 491 - 5 inline 000000100 m on – 500 m on tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield Venting detected on site, 70 Ci GBq on 491 – 6491 dmy 1978 8 10 07:59:57.9 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-18 73.291 54.883 491 - 6 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,fundamental science 000000000 unknown yield 492 Kraton 3 (Craton)492 Kraton 3 (Craton) dmy 1978 8 24 18:00:00.4 YAKT (9 hrs) Sakha, Russia: KR-3 65.925 112.338 492 Kraton 3 (Craton) inline 000000 – 577 m on underground shaft,seismic sounding 000220000 22 kt Venting detected 493 – 1493 dmy 1978 8 29 02:36:59.95 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 107 49.8074 78.1091 493 - 1 inline 000770770 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000140000 14 kt 493 – 2493 dmy 1978 8 29 02:37:00.0 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 107 49.8074 78.1091 493 - 2 inline 000770770 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 493 – 3493 dmy 1978 8 29 02:37:00.0 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 107 49.8074 78.1091 493 - 3 inline 000770770 m on + tunnel,safety experiment 000000010 1000 kg 494494 dmy 1978 8 29 02:37:08.75 ALMT (6 hrs) Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1228 50.00965 78.96669 494 inline 000330330 m on + underground shaft,weapons development 001190000 119 kt 495 Galit A2.4 (Halite)495 Galit A2.4 (Halite) dmy 1978 9 12 04:59:58.5 SHET (5 hrs) Atyrau, Kazakhstan: A-II-5 47.909 47.912 495 Galit A2.4 (Halite) inline 000000 – 600 m on underground shaft,industrial 000000800 80 t Create reservoirs for gas storage. A fizzle. 496496 dmy 1978 9 15 02:36:59.97 ALMT (6 hrs) Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1211 49.92944 78.8614 496 inline 000330330 m on + underground shaft,weapons development 000810000 81 kt 497497 dmy 1978 9 20 05:03:00.0 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 605p 49.7934 78.1447 497 inline 000660660 m on + tunnel,weapon effect 000011000 1.1 kt 498 Kraton 2 (Craton)498 Kraton 2 (Craton) dmy 1978 9 21 15:00:00.2 KRAT (7 hrs) Krasnoyarsk, Russia: KR-2 66.598 86.21 498 Kraton 2 (Craton) inline 000000 – 890 m on underground shaft,seismic sounding 000150000 15 kt Seismic probing program. 499 – 1499 dmy 1978 9 27 02:04:58.6 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-19 73.349 54.676 499 - 1 inline 000000100 m on – 350 m on tunnel,weapons development 000600000 60 kt 499 – 2499 dmy 1978 9 27 02:04:58.6 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-19 73.349 54.676 499 - 2 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 499 – 3499 dmy 1978 9 27 02:04:58.6 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-19 73.349 54.676 499 - 3 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 499 – 4499 dmy 1978 9 27 02:04:58.6 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-19 73.349 54.676 499 - 4 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 499 – 5499 dmy 1978 9 27 02:04:58.6 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-19 73.349 54.676 499 - 5 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 499 – 6499 dmy 1978 9 27 02:04:58.6 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-19 73.349 54.676 499 - 6 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 499 – 7499 dmy 1978 9 27 02:04:58.6 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-19 73.349 54.676 499 - 7 inline 000100100 m on + tunnel,safety experiment 000000010 1000 kg 500 Vyatka (Neva)500 Vyatka (Neva) dmy 1978 10 8 00:00:?? YAKT (9 hrs) Sakha, Russia: 43 61.55 112.85 500 Vyatka (Neva) inline 000000 – 1545 m on underground shaft,oil stimulation 000150000 15 kt 501501 dmy 1978 10 15 05:37:00.14 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 200ASM 49.7395 78.1127 501 inline 000645645 m on + tunnel,weapon effect 000120000 12 kt 502 Galit A7 (Halite) – 1502 Galit A7 (Halite) dmy 1978 10 17 04:59:59.1 SHET (5 hrs) Atyrau, Kazakhstan: A-VII 47.84661 48.12042 502 Galit A7 (Halite) - 1 inline 000000 – 1040 m on underground shaft,cavity excavation 000560000 56 kt Create reservoirs for gas storage. 502 Galit A7 (Halite) – 2502 Galit A7 (Halite) dmy 1978 10 17 04:59:59.1 SHET (5 hrs) Atyrau, Kazakhstan: A-VII 47.84661 48.12042 502 Galit A7 (Halite) - 2 inline 000000 + underground shaft,cavity excavation 000180000 18 kt Create reservoirs for gas storage. 503 Kraton 1 (Craton)503 Kraton 1 (Craton) dmy 1978 10 17 14:00:00.2 SVET (5 hrs) Khanty-Mansi, Russia: KR-1 63.185 63.432 503 Kraton 1 (Craton) inline 000000 – 593 m on underground shaft,seismic sounding 000220000 22 kt Seismic probing program. 504504 dmy 1978 10 31 04:17:00.19 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 194 49.7875 78.0974 504 inline 000638638 m on + tunnel,fundamental science 000160000 16 kt 505 – 1505 dmy 1978 11 4 05:05:59.86 ALMT (6 hrs) Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1302 50.04706 78.94626 505 - 1 inline 000330330 m on + underground shaft,weapons development 000440000 44 kt 505 – 2505 dmy 1978 11 4 05:05:59.9 ALMT (6 hrs) Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1302 50.04167 78.94722 505 - 2 inline 000330330 m on + underground shaft,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 506 – 1506 dmy 1978 11 29 04:33:00.17 ALMT (6 hrs) Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1222 49.95472 78.79395 506 - 1 inline 000330330 m on + underground shaft,weapons development 001010000 101 kt 506 – 2506 dmy 1978 11 29 04:33:00.2 ALMT (6 hrs) Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1222 49.95472 78.79395 506 - 2 inline 000330330 m on + underground shaft,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield 507507 dmy 1978 11 29 04:33:04.99 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 162 49.7826 78.0073 507 inline 000750750 m on + tunnel,weapons development 001100000 110 kt 508 Galit A2.5 (Halite)508 Galit A2.5 (Halite) dmy 1978 11 30 07:59:59.1 SHET (5 hrs) Atyrau, Kazakhstan: A-II-6 47.909 47.912 508 Galit A2.5 (Halite) inline 000000 – 600 m on underground shaft,industrial 000000060 6 t Create reservoirs for gas storage. A fizzle. 509509 dmy 1978 12 14 04:43:00.03 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 113p 49.8061 78.1034 509 inline 000768768 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000040000 4 kt 510 Galit A9 (Halite)510 Galit A9 (Halite) dmy 1978 12 18 07:59:58.5 SHET (5 hrs) Atyrau, Kazakhstan: A-IX 47.85689 48.16091 510 Galit A9 (Halite) inline 000000 – 630 m on underground shaft,cavity excavation 001030000 103 kt Create reservoirs for gas storage. 511 – 1511 dmy 1978 12 20 04:33:00.04 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 803p 49.81083 78.05417 511 - 1 inline 000722722 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000035000 3.5 kt 511 – 2511 dmy 1978 12 20 04:33:00.0 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 803p 49.81083 78.05417 511 - 2 inline 000722722 m on + tunnel,weapons development 000000000 unknown yield note References RFNC-VNIIEF 1996 USSR Nuclear Weapons Tests and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions 1949 through 1990 Sarov, Russia The official Russian list of Soviet tests. Podvig Pavel 2001 Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces MIT Press Cambridge, MA 9780262661812 https://books.google.com/books?id=CPRVbYDc-7kC&pg=PA453 January 9, 2014 Cochran Thomas B. Arkin William M. Robert S. Norris Jeffrey I. Sands Nuclear Weapons Databook Vol. IV: Soviet Nuclear Weapons Harper and Row New York, NY Khalturin Vitaly I. Tatyana G. Rautian Paul G. Richards 2000 10.1007/pl00001153 Chemical explosions during 1961-1989 on the Semipalatinsk Test Site, Kazakhstan Pure and Applied Geophysics 158 143–171 128953780 http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/div/sgt/vitaly/VIKh_papers/chemex_at_STS2000.pdf December 13, 2013 4 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120004/http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/div/sgt/vitaly/VIKh_papers/chemex_at_STS2000.pdf dead Yang Xiaoping Robert North Carl Romney August 2000 CMR Nuclear Explosion Database (Revision 3) SMDC Monitoring Research Nuclear explosions in the USSR: The North Test Site reference material, version 4 December 1, 2004 IAEA Dept. of Nuclear Safety and Security http://www-ns.iaea.org/downloads/rw/waste-safety/north-test-site-final.pdf December 13, 2013 Won-Young Kim Paul G. Richards Vitaly Andrushkin Vladimir Ovtchinnikov April 1, 2001 Borovoye digital seismogram archive for underground nuclear tests during 1966–1996 LDEO http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/Monitoring/Data/Brv_arch_ex/brv_text_table.pdf December 13, 2013 Andrushkin Vitaly V. William Leith September 1, 2001 The containment of Soviet underground nuclear explosions USGS Open File Report 01-312 https://geology.er.usgs.gov/eespteam/pdf/USGSOFR01312.pdf December 13, 2013 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130509080818/http://geology.er.usgs.gov/eespteam/pdf/USGSOFR01312.pdf May 9, 2013 Thurber Clifford Chad Trabant Florian Haslinger Renate Hartog 2001 10.1016/s0031-9201(00)00215-6 Nuclear explosion locations at the Balapan, Kazakhstan, nuclear test site: the effects of high-precision arrival times and three-dimensional structure Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 123 283–301 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240373396_Nuclear_explosion_locations_at_the_Balapan_Kazakhstan_nuclear_test_site_the_effects_of_high-precision_arrival_times_and_three-dimensional_structure December 13, 2013 1978 Category:1978 in the Soviet Union Category:1978 in military history Category:1978 explosions