North Korea 'hydrogen bomb': What damage can it cause?

North Korea claims to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb for the first time in a move that alarmed the world.

The test sparked a furious response from the US, Japan, China and South Korea, which conducted a ballistic missile exercise in response to Pyongyang's claim that it had successfully tested a miniaturised hydrogen bomb.

Experts have expressed alarm at the technology as well as how quickly Pyongyang has accelerated its nuclear weapons program.

If a 100 kiloton bomb was dropped over Auckland, the CBD would be devastated while inner city residents would struggle to survive. Picture: NukeMap

North Korea's state media claimed it tested the bomb, which was capable of being loaded into an ICBM in a major game changer. If it launched one on any western city, thousands would die and infrastructure would be destroyed.

According to John Hallam, a UN nuclear disarmament campaigner, the latest test is beyond frightening and proves Pyongyang is capable of making a devastating and deadly impact.
DEVASTATING FORCE

Hydrogen bombs are considered much deadlier and more devastating compared to a standard nuclear bomb.

An atomic bomb generates energy through the process of nuclear fission where the nucleus of an atom splits.

The hydrogen bomb, also called a thermonuclear bomb, is more powerful and uses fusion - or atomic nuclei coming together - to produce explosive energy.

Both are capable of making a deadly impact.

David Krofcheck, a lecturer in nuclear physics at Auckland University, told Fairfax Media in April, that an attack on New Zealand was unlikely.

In fact, it's "probably the best place to be", says Professor Brian Martin, a social scientist at the University of Woollongong in Australia.

"Australia is a potential target because it hosts US military bases and those bases are involved in tracking satellite data which is used to launch missiles against Russia or China. A sophisticated response would be to target those," he told Fairfax.

"The best place to be is probably New Zealand because they don't have any targets."

According to Alex Wellerstein's NukeMap, an attack with such a weapon 1km above Aotea Square would cause 54,600 casualties and more than 160,180 injuries.

However the biggest worry for NZ is that a war would hit our economy, regional security expert Paul Sinclair.

"The real concern for us - not just us, but the entire Asia-Pacific - would be the economic dislocation that would occur from any conflict, because it would be very, very significant, and that does pose a huge economic risk, especially for a small economy like ours that's so dependent on exports," Sinclair told Fairfax.

Another concern is that radiation could end up in our imports from other countries within the fallout zone.

DEADLY, DESTRUCTIVE

Mr Hallam said whether Pyongyang tested a H-bomb or gas-boosted bomb remained a huge concern. Either would be much more destructive than that dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.

"North Korea is playing games," Mr Hallam said. "Every time there's universal prediction they will test a bomb, they don't.

"But the surprising thing in this is how much bigger this test was."

Mr Hallam warned the world was playing a very dangerous game by antagonising North Korea, which was determined to achieve its nuclear ambition despite sanctions, which simply weren't working.

"Blind Freddie will tell you sanctions will not be effective," he said.

"It will only incentive them to work harder and quicker to get what they want.

"We just don't get it, we need to back off, calm down and talk and then talk some more. The photo released (of Sunday's test) is pretty convincing, it has been sent to us for a reason."

THE H-BOMB

The precise strength of the underground nuclear explosion had yet to be determined.
However, according to South Korea's weather agency, the artificial earthquake caused by the explosion was five times to six times stronger than tremors generated by the North's previous five nuclear tests.

Sunday's detonation builds on recent North Korean advances that include test launches in July of two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that are believed to be capable of reaching the mainland US.

Tremors caused were at least 10 times as powerful as the last time Pyongyang exploded an atomic bomb a year ago, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

The Korea Meteorological Administration estimated that the nuclear blast yield of the presumed test was between 50 to 60 kilotons, or five to six times stronger than the North Korea's test in September 2016.

However, the Arms Control Association said the explosion appeared to produce a yield in excess of 100 kilotons of TNT equivalent.

FEARS RAISED

Mr Hallam said he believed Sunday's test probably involved a hydrogen bomb. According to Mr Hallam, standard US and Russian warheads were around the 100kt range, around the same that Pyongyang was said to have tested on Sunday.

"US and Russia have much bigger of course," he said. "A 100kt device can easily fit into a missile, making it a city killer.

"The last nuclear test North Korea did was 20kt, the one before that was 10, while the first was 0.4kt so this (Sunday's test) is easily 5-6 times as big as the one before."

'DISTURBING DEVELOPMENT'

According to Professor John Blaxland, Director of ANU's Southeast Asia Institute, the test also has another unintended consequence.

"North Korea is giving cause for Japan's rearmament, which is not in China's best interests," Prof Blaxland said.

"Japan may bolster its defence expenditure, this is a worrying development for China.
Prof Blaxland said a H-bomb was much more powerful and destructive.

"Sunday's test is a disturbing development," he said.

"This is concerning because Kim's a paranoid dictator and we don't really know what he will do."

Prof Blaxland said a hydrogen bomb represented a significant increase in sophistication, adding to a complex and dangerous situation.

- NZ Herald and news.com.au