Korean event NOT nuclear test

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Korean event NOT nuclear test

Posted: 9/12/2004 12:33:38 PM EDT

It cannot be a nuclear explosion, though we don't know what it is, but there is no radiation, no seismic signature, and no crater.

story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/nm/20040912/ts_nm/korea_north_dc

Posted: 9/12/2004 12:34:45 PM EDT

[#1]

Tannerite !!!!!

Posted: 9/12/2004 12:36:52 PM EDT

[#2]

Swamp gas. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Posted: 9/12/2004 12:42:12 PM EDT

[#3]

Well it aint swamp gass, but after this many hours and no fall out, and none of the universities along this very earthquake prone region- who therefore ALL have seismographs- can place a event at the right time and place...And since neither radiation sampling OR seismic study is a goverment monopoly there also cannot be a coverup.

Posted: 9/12/2004 12:43:34 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Well it aint swamp gass, but after this many hours and no fall out, and none of the universities along this very earthquake prone region- who therefore ALL have seismographs- and since neither radiation sampling OR seismic study is a goverment monopoly there also cannot be a coverup.

I don't put anything past the Bush Family Evil Empire.

Posted: 9/12/2004 12:46:26 PM EDT

[#5]

I've heard it was a giant FAE.

You know that Kim Yong "very" Il "indeed" pulled this stunt to garner the world's attention once again. He is an evil and very dangerous sociopathic attention whore, nothing more.

Posted: 9/12/2004 1:12:35 PM EDT

[#6]

WTF was it? An ammo dump/factory?

Posted: 9/12/2004 1:13:44 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
I've heard it was a giant FAE.

You know that Kim Yong "very" Il "indeed" pulled this stunt to garner the world's attention once again. He is an evil and very dangerous sociopathic attention whore, nothing more.

\

did you mean giant FART?

Posted: 9/12/2004 6:38:17 PM EDT

[#8]

Was it a controlled event...or a mishap?

What was the apparent yield of the explosion in tons of TNT?

What were the consituent parts of the residue sent into the upper atmosphere?

IF a controlled event, was it a T&E "precursor" test to calibrate instruments as was done at Trinity with a controlled detonation of 100 tons of TNT?

Nuclear detonations are virtually impossible to hide. We'll know.

Posted: 9/12/2004 6:41:18 PM EDT

[#9]

Korean nuke - looks just like ours but doesn't work half as well.

Posted: 9/12/2004 6:45:39 PM EDT

[#10]

FYI: No seismic activity means no explosion.

IIRC the USGS seismic detectors are capable of sensing when someone sets off a five pound charge of TNT in a South African diamond mine.

They surly would have caught something that made a five k wide mushroom cloud.

I will go with the fire theory for lack of a better one.

Posted: 9/12/2004 6:49:44 PM EDT

[#11]

What kind of explosion or non nuclear event could yield a mushroom cloud that large? Over 2 miles wide?

That's a shitload of black powder.

Posted: 9/12/2004 6:51:57 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
What kind of explosion or non nuclear event could yield a mushroom cloud that large? Over 2 miles wide?

That's a shitload of black powder.

I'm thinking maybe a large vat of rocket fuel...

Several of the reports mentioned the cloud being near NK missile facilities.

Posted: 9/12/2004 6:54:50 PM EDT

[#13]

Somebody want to explain how 5 pounds of TNT can be detected in a south african mine, but something capable of making a 2 1/2 mile nushroom cloud (even if an airburst or ground level explosion) would not be readable? Wouldn't there be a concusion force that would well exceed that of five pounds of TNT?

Posted: 9/12/2004 6:56:05 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
FYI: No seismic activity means no explosion.

IIRC the USGS seismic detectors are capable of sensing when someone sets off a five pound charge of TNT in a South African diamond mine.

They surly would have caught something that made a five k wide mushroom cloud.

I will go with the fire theory for lack of a better one.

USGS siesmic sensors, plus the DOD sensors used to monitor compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban treaty, plus all the GPS satellites have a secondary Nuclear Detonation Detection System payload to look for the characteristic double flash.

Posted: 9/12/2004 6:59:56 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Somebody want to explain how 5 pounds of TNT can be detected in a south african mine, but something capable of making a 2 1/2 mile nushroom cloud (even if an airburst or ground level explosion) would not be readable? Wouldn't there be a concusion force that would well exceed that of five pounds of TNT?

Simple…

It deflagrated (burned) instead of exploded.

EXAMPLE:
1)Grab a fifth of the best “white lightning” you can find and poor it out on warm concrete.

2) wait a minute

3) Stand WAY back and throw a lit match on it.

You get a large “whump” sound and about a six foot pillar of flame. Not a bang and a crater in your driveway.

Posted: 9/12/2004 7:08:29 PM EDT

[#16]

I posted this info over here: www.anomalies.net/cgi-bin/bbs/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=57;t=000003;p=20

Wikipedia is reporting this info also. Please note what I highlighted.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryanggang_explosion

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On September 9, 2004, a large explosion apparently occurred in the county of Kimhyŏngjik in the North Korean province of Ryanggang. The date is the 56th anniversary of the formation of the reclusive state. The incident created a large cloud 3.5–4 kilometers (2–2.5 miles) in diameter. It wasn't reported until September 12, when the South Korean news agency Yonhap cited a source in Beijing, China who said a mushroom cloud had been seen, and a resulting crater from the explosion was later imaged by satellite. International officials downplayed the idea that the explosion came from a nuclear weapon. Some have said that the cloud may have been generated by a forest fire, although it is unclear whether a fire would have been a cause or an effect in this instance. Seismic activity apparently related to the incident occurred at 11 PM Korea Standard Time on September 8th and 1 AM on the 9th. The main explosion reportedly occurred at 11 AM on the 9th.
A possibility is that a device similar to the American Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB) could have been detonated. A test of that device in Florida in 2003 produced a mushroom cloud of about the same size as what was reported in North Korea.
This was the second significant explosion of unknown origin in North Korea to occur in 2004. On May 22, a train traveling through the municipality of Ryongchon exploded, destroying many of the surrounding structures and killing and injuring many people. For more information see Ryongchon disaster.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The article states the explosion took place in (R)yanggang province, Kimhyungjik county. Here is the L&L of (R)yanggang province. That should be close enough.
www.world-gazetteer.com/d/d_kp_yg.htm
Latitude 41.40°N Longitude 128.16°E

Map of North Korea. The province in question is the second northern most one.

Please note there is a facility there which might produce highly enriched uranium.
www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/NK/45_548.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nuclear Facilities

Yŏngjŏ-ri Suspected Uranium Enrichment Facility
Location: Yŏngjŏ-ri, Kimhyŏngjik-kun, Yanggang Province , North Korea, about 20km from the Chinese border [Note: “Yŏngjŏ-ri” is often misidentified as “Yŏngjŏ-dong" ” but the actual administrative unit is a “ri.”]
Subordinate to: Probably the 5th Machine Industry Bureau, Korean Workers Party [Note: The 5th Machine Industry Bureau was originally under the Atomic Energy Committee , which is currently called the General Department of Atomic Energy . However, in 1987, when the Atomic Energy Committee was renamed the Ministry of Atomic Energy Industry, the 5th Machine Industry Bureau was directly placed under the Korean Workers’ Party.]
Primary Function: Possible production of highly enriched uranium (HEU)
Description: Construction of a large underground site in Yŏngjŏ-ri began in the mid-1990s, and all reports prior to October 2002 identified this site as a missile base. In October 2002, North Korea admitted that it possesses a program to enrich uranium, and the Yŏngjŏ-ri is a suspected site for this program. According to “intelligence and diplomatic sources in Seoul,” US government officials briefed the South Korean government around 10 October 2002 about North Korea’s uranium enrichment program. “Yŏngjŏ-dong” [sic] was one of three suspected sites; the others were “Hagap” and the “Academy of Sciences” in Pyongyang. It is unclear whether US officials have identified a separate facility in Yŏngjŏ-ri dedicated to uranium enrichment, or if the site previously identified as a missile base is a uranium enrichment facility instead.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And then there's the Mother Of All bombs
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_Ordnance_Air_Blast_bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB) (also known as the Mother Of All Bombs) is a large-yield conventional air-to-surface bomb developed by the United States military, touted as the most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever designed. It is also designated as the GBU-43/B.
Like many US Army acronyms, the term MOAB seems contrived. It is spelled and pronounced the same as the Middle Eastern region of Moab, thus giving the effect of having been deliberately chosen (see contrived acronym).
This bomb also appears in Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour, although it only appears with the name of Mother of All Bombs.

Development
The MOAB is an Air Force Research Laboratory technology project that began in fiscal year 2002. It underwent a successful field test at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida on March 11, 2003 and another in mid-November. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has said a larger version of the MOAB, weighing thirteen tons, is under development.

Description
At 9.1 m long and 9800 kg, with high explosive as 8482 kg of that,[1] (http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEH20031122150238&Title=Top%20Stories&Topic=0) it can only be dropped from the cargo door of a large aircraft. It is guided by global positioning technology.

Evaluation of its utility
The basic design is similar to that of the BLU-82 Daisy cutter, which was used in the Vietnam War and in Afghanistan, mostly for clearing of rocky or heavily wooded areas. Pentagon officials have, however, suggested its intention to use MOAB as an anti-personnel weapon, as part of the "Shock and awe" strategy integral to the proposed action in Iraq (see 2003 invasion of Iraq).
However, the utility of the bomb as an anti-personnel weapon is limited and the publicity associated with it may be part of a psyop. The utility of the bomb in actual anti-personnel military operations is limited by two considerations. First, per pound, it is far less effective an anti-personnel weapon than cluster bombs. Second, the bomb is likely to cause large amounts of collateral damage when used in areas with civilians.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted: 9/12/2004 7:10:06 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Somebody want to explain how 5 pounds of TNT can be detected in a south african mine, but something capable of making a 2 1/2 mile nushroom cloud (even if an airburst or ground level explosion) would not be readable? Wouldn't there be a concusion force that would well exceed that of five pounds of TNT?

Simple…

It deflagrated (burned) instead of exploded.

EXAMPLE:
1)Grab a fifth of the best “white lightning” you can find and poor it out on warm concrete.

2) wait a minute

3) Stand WAY back and throw a lit match on it.

You get a large “whump” sound and about a six foot pillar of flame. Not a bang and a crater in your driveway.

Deflegration would not yield a mushroom cloud - a mushroom cloud requires a blast wave.

Posted: 9/12/2004 7:12:55 PM EDT

[#18]

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=581880§ion=news

N.Korea blast cause remains mystery
Mon 13 September, 2004 03:36

RELATED ARTICLES
N.Korea blast thought near missile base

By Jack Kim

SEOUL (Reuters) - An accident at an underground munitions depot or a weapons factory was the likely cause of a huge explosion in North Korea last week, and there were possibly two blasts, South Korean media reports say.

South Korea's financial markets, which can react sharply to developments in the North, ignored the blast reports, which came as diplomats were seeking to persuade Pyongyang to return this month to six-party talks on its nuclear weapons programmes.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, in Beijing for talks with Chinese officials on the nuclear standoff, made no comment as he left his hotel on Monday.

The South Korean government has all but ruled out the possibility of a nuclear test by North Korea in the northeastern region of Ryanggang between August 8 and 9, the reports said.

"There is a possibility of an accident at a military factory or a munitions depot dug underground," the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper quoted a source in South Korea as saying.

The North has said nothing yet about the incident but often notes events long after they happen -- and sometimes not at all.

South Korean intelligence detected two explosions on the night of August 2 to 3, the JoongAng Ilbo said.

The area in Ryanggang that borders with China has been known to have a secret missile base but the site of the accident is some distance away, the source was quoted as saying.

South Korean officials are analysing satellite images and other data to determine the cause of the explosion that produced a large cloud detected on August 9.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, also played down the possibility of a nuclear test.

Another South Korean daily, Chosun Ilbo, said the explosion left marks as if a blast set off by an equivalent of 1,000 tonnes of dynamite had hit a munitions depot or a military cargo train carrying explosives.

The blast produced a smoke cloud that stretched to four kilometres, the newspaper said.

"Considering the existence of various missile bases near the area, it is possible that chemical materials exploded," the daily quoted a North Korean defector familiar with the area as saying.

NO INDICATION OF ATOMIC BLAST

While not placing the blast at one of the bases, the defector said it could be attributed to liquid fuel used for missiles.

The time sequence of the explosion followed several hours later by a smoke cloud supports a theory that the blast took place under ground, the paper quoted several sources as saying.

The Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper quoted a senior government official as saying seismic monitors detected two explosions before and after midnight on August 9.

But the government was unable to link conclusively the seismic waves and the explosions, the newspaper said.

South Korea first got indications of the blast from a satellite, a senior South Korean official told Reuters on Sunday.

"The weather overall at the time was cloudy but there was a peculiar cloud, a cloud that was different from any other," said the official, who asked not to be identified. "We cannot confirm whether it had the characteristics of a mushroom cloud."

Powell said there was "no indication that that was a nuclear event of any kind. Exactly what it was, we're not sure." Asked on ABC's "This Week" if North Korea had tested a nuclear device, Powell said, "No."

North Korea is believed to be developing nuclear weapons -- Washington has said it may have one or two or even more already.

In October 2002, U.S. officials said North Korean officials had said they had a clandestine uranium enrichment program that could be used to develop nuclear weapons and that violated its international commitments. They subsequently denied say this.

South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper said the blast site was 10 km (6 miles) southwest of the Yongjori Missile Base at a point 30 km (18 miles) from the China frontier. The mountainous area is off-limits to outsiders, including aid workers.

The base has tunnels for storing, deploying and launching medium-range Rodong missiles, according to defector reports.

The New York Times reported in its Sunday editions the Bush administration had received recent intelligence reports that some experts believed could indicate North Korea was preparing to conduct its first nuclear weapons test explosion.

The news broke as South Korea, Japan, China, Russia and the United States sought to persuade Pyongyang to resume talks on its nuclear ambitions. The North, which threatened at earlier talks to test an atomic bomb, says it sees no need for more talks.

There was no immediate reaction from China, North Korea's big neighbour and main ally.

A senior Chinese Communist Party delegation met leader Kim Jong-il Sunday, the North's official KCNA news agency said. It said the Chinese handed Kim a letter from President Hu Jintao and promised aid for the impoverished country.

Posted: 9/12/2004 7:17:38 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Korean nuke - looks just like ours but doesn't work half as well.

HAHA!! Been to Korea, eh?

Posted: 9/12/2004 7:19:41 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Somebody want to explain how 5 pounds of TNT can be detected in a south african mine, but something capable of making a 2 1/2 mile nushroom cloud (even if an airburst or ground level explosion) would not be readable? Wouldn't there be a concusion force that would well exceed that of five pounds of TNT?

Simple…

It deflagrated (burned) instead of exploded.

EXAMPLE:
1)Grab a fifth of the best “white lightning” you can find and poor it out on warm concrete.

2) wait a minute

3) Stand WAY back and throw a lit match on it.

You get a large “whump” sound and about a six foot pillar of flame. Not a bang and a crater in your driveway.

Deflegration would not yield a mushroom cloud - a mushroom cloud requires a blast wave.

And now we debate the shape of a cloud reported third-hand by a second-rate news agency?

Bla... No seismic activity, no radiation and no crater = not a nuke or even a significant explosion.

Posted: 9/13/2004 8:05:18 AM EDT

[#21]

N Korea now says the blast was a planned demolition of a mountain for a hydrolectric project.

Fox News article

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea (search) said Monday that a huge cloud caused by an explosion near its border with China several days ago was the planned demolition of a mountain for a hydroelectric project, British media reported.

North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun said the blast was intentional, responding to a request for information from British Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell, who is visiting the North, the British Broadcasting Corp. quoted Rammell as saying.

North Korea told Britain's ambassador in Pyongyang, David Slinn, that he can visit the blast site as soon as Tuesday to verify its claims that the explosion was part of a construction project, the Press Association of Britain reported. Rammell had asked that ambassadors be allowed to visit the site.

A mammoth explosion Thursday in the isolated, communist North reportedly produced a mushroom cloud more than two miles across.

South Korean and U.S. officials had said Sunday they were trying to ascertain the cause of the huge cloud. The size of the reported explosion on the 56th anniversary of the foundation of North Korea had raised speculation that it might be a nuclear test. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said there was no indication it was.

In an interview with the BBC, Rammell said Paek told him "that it wasn't an accident, that it wasn't a nuclear explosion, that it was a deliberate detonation of a mountain as part of a hydroelectric project."

Rammell said he welcomed the explanation because North Korea is so secretive.

"If this is genuinely a deliberate detonation as part of a legitimate construction project then the North Koreans have nothing to fear and nothing to hide and should welcome the international community actually verifying the situation for themselves," Rammell said.

The Chinese news agency Xinhua quoted an unidentified North Korean official also as saying the blast was part of a power plant project.

"We will closely look into whether that area is an area for constructing a hydroelectric power plant," South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said at the National Assembly in Seoul, according to the news agency Yonhap.

Chung said the large cloud near the North Korean-Chinese border was confirmed by satellite pictures, but that overcast skies made it difficult to tell what caused it.

China's government, which has the closest relations with North Korea, had no immediate comment about the reported explosion.

Yonhap said the blast was stronger than an April explosion that killed 160 people and injured an estimated 1,300 at a North Korean railway station when a train carrying oil and chemicals apparently hit power lines. North Korea invited international aid workers to visit the site, an unusual move for the reclusive regime.

On "Fox News Sunday," Powell expressed skepticism North Korea would stage a nuclear test explosion. But another senior U.S. administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States has received indications North Korea might be trying to test an atomic weapon.

The United States, Russia, Japan, China and the two Koreas have held talks on North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons development, and agreed to hold another round of negotiations in Beijing this month. No date has been set.

The United States has pushed for North Korea to fully disclose all of its nuclear activities and allow outside monitoring before it receives any assistance. North Korea wants energy aid, lifting of economic sanctions and to be removed from Washington's list of state sponsors of terrorism.

On Saturday, North Korea said recent revelations that South Korea conducted secret nuclear experiments involving uranium and plutonium made the communist state more determined to pursue its own nuclear programs.

South Korea said the experiments, conducted in 1982 and 2000, did not reflect an interest in developing weapons

Posted: 9/13/2004 8:19:52 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
What kind of explosion or non nuclear event could yield a mushroom cloud that large? Over 2 miles wide?

That's a shitload of black powder.

Forest fire...

There are documented pics of 'Mushroom Clouds' in Kali during fire season...

Posted: 9/13/2004 8:22:08 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
I posted this info over here: www.anomalies.net/cgi-bin/bbs/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=57;t=000003;p=20

Wikipedia is reporting this info also. Please note what I highlighted.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryanggang_explosion

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On September 9, 2004, a large explosion apparently occurred in the county of Kimhyŏngjik in the North Korean province of Ryanggang. The date is the 56th anniversary of the formation of the reclusive state. The incident created a large cloud 3.5–4 kilometers (2–2.5 miles) in diameter. It wasn't reported until September 12, when the South Korean news agency Yonhap cited a source in Beijing, China who said a mushroom cloud had been seen, and a resulting crater from the explosion was later imaged by satellite. International officials downplayed the idea that the explosion came from a nuclear weapon. Some have said that the cloud may have been generated by a forest fire, although it is unclear whether a fire would have been a cause or an effect in this instance. Seismic activity apparently related to the incident occurred at 11 PM Korea Standard Time on September 8th and 1 AM on the 9th. The main explosion reportedly occurred at 11 AM on the 9th.
A possibility is that a device similar to the American Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB) could have been detonated. A test of that device in Florida in 2003 produced a mushroom cloud of about the same size as what was reported in North Korea.
This was the second significant explosion of unknown origin in North Korea to occur in 2004. On May 22, a train traveling through the municipality of Ryongchon exploded, destroying many of the surrounding structures and killing and injuring many people. For more information see Ryongchon disaster.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The article states the explosion took place in (R)yanggang province, Kimhyungjik county. Here is the L&L of (R)yanggang province. That should be close enough.
www.world-gazetteer.com/d/d_kp_yg.htm
Latitude 41.40°N Longitude 128.16°E

Map of North Korea. The province in question is the second northern most one.
www.world-gazetteer.com/m/m_kp.gif

Please note there is a facility there which might produce highly enriched uranium.
www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/NK/45_548.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nuclear Facilities

Yŏngjŏ-ri Suspected Uranium Enrichment Facility
Location: Yŏngjŏ-ri, Kimhyŏngjik-kun, Yanggang Province , North Korea, about 20km from the Chinese border [Note: “Yŏngjŏ-ri” is often misidentified as “Yŏngjŏ-dong" ” but the actual administrative unit is a “ri.”]
Subordinate to: Probably the 5th Machine Industry Bureau, Korean Workers Party [Note: The 5th Machine Industry Bureau was originally under the Atomic Energy Committee , which is currently called the General Department of Atomic Energy . However, in 1987, when the Atomic Energy Committee was renamed the Ministry of Atomic Energy Industry, the 5th Machine Industry Bureau was directly placed under the Korean Workers’ Party.]
Primary Function: Possible production of highly enriched uranium (HEU)
Description: Construction of a large underground site in Yŏngjŏ-ri began in the mid-1990s, and all reports prior to October 2002 identified this site as a missile base. In October 2002, North Korea admitted that it possesses a program to enrich uranium, and the Yŏngjŏ-ri is a suspected site for this program. According to “intelligence and diplomatic sources in Seoul,” US government officials briefed the South Korean government around 10 October 2002 about North Korea’s uranium enrichment program. “Yŏngjŏ-dong” [sic] was one of three suspected sites; the others were “Hagap” and the “Academy of Sciences” in Pyongyang. It is unclear whether US officials have identified a separate facility in Yŏngjŏ-ri dedicated to uranium enrichment, or if the site previously identified as a missile base is a uranium enrichment facility instead.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And then there's the Mother Of All bombs
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_Ordnance_Air_Blast_bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB) (also known as the Mother Of All Bombs) is a large-yield conventional air-to-surface bomb developed by the United States military, touted as the most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever designed. It is also designated as the GBU-43/B.
Like many US Army acronyms, the term MOAB seems contrived. It is spelled and pronounced the same as the Middle Eastern region of Moab, thus giving the effect of having been deliberately chosen (see contrived acronym).
This bomb also appears in Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour, although it only appears with the name of Mother of All Bombs.

Development
The MOAB is an Air Force Research Laboratory technology project that began in fiscal year 2002. It underwent a successful field test at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida on March 11, 2003 and another in mid-November. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has said a larger version of the MOAB, weighing thirteen tons, is under development.

Description
At 9.1 m long and 9800 kg, with high explosive as 8482 kg of that,[1] (http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEH20031122150238&Title=Top%20Stories&Topic=0) it can only be dropped from the cargo door of a large aircraft. It is guided by global positioning technology.

Evaluation of its utility
The basic design is similar to that of the BLU-82 Daisy cutter, which was used in the Vietnam War and in Afghanistan, mostly for clearing of rocky or heavily wooded areas. Pentagon officials have, however, suggested its intention to use MOAB as an anti-personnel weapon, as part of the "Shock and awe" strategy integral to the proposed action in Iraq (see 2003 invasion of Iraq).
However, the utility of the bomb as an anti-personnel weapon is limited and the publicity associated with it may be part of a psyop. The utility of the bomb in actual anti-personnel military operations is limited by two considerations. First, per pound, it is far less effective an anti-personnel weapon than cluster bombs. Second, the bomb is likely to cause large amounts of collateral damage when used in areas with civilians.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Definately NOT a MOAB explosion...

MOAB can only be delivered by transport aircraft, and there's no way we'd get a C-17 past NORK air defenses...

Also, MOAB would register on sensors...

Sounds like a big forest fire to me...