Hi All. The total number of known nuclear explosions from 1945 to 1994 was 2,036. Data from the Lop Nor testing facility in Western China shows a maximum earthquake of 5.0Ms. This was taken from the Love and Rayleigh waves which are surface waves.

It would take 35,937 nuclear bombs all detonating at the same time to release the same amount of energy as one 7.0Ms quake.

It has been said by some that nuclear detonations have triggered some large earthquakes and there are some who say they don’t. Knowing the source for these statements helps. Those who say they do are for the most part anti-nuclear and those who say they don’t are pro-nuclear.

U.S. S.U. Britain France China
Year A U A U A U A U A U Total
1945 1 1
1946 2 2
1947 0
1948 3 3
1949 1 1
1950 0
1951 15 1 2 18
1952 10 1 11
1953 11 5 2 18
1954 6 9 15
1955 17 1 6 24
1956 18 8 6 32
1957 27 5 18 7 57
1958 62 15 35 5 117
1959 0
1960 3 3
1961 9/1* 52 1 1 1 65
1962 39 55/2 71 1 2** 1 171
1963 4 41/2 3 50
1964 39/6 10 2 3 1 61
1965 37/1 10/4** 1 4 1 58
1966 44/4 16/2 5 1 3 75
1967 39/3 16/1 3 2 64
1968 52/4 14/4 5 1 80
1969 45/1 14/4 1 1 66
1970 38/1 11/3 8 1 62
1971 23/1 16/7 5 1 53
1972 27 17/8 3/1 2 57
1973 23/1 12/5 5 1 47
1974 22 17/4 1 7 1 53***
1975 22 17/2 2 1 44
1976 20 18/3 1 4 3 1 50
1977 20 18/5 8 1 52
1978 19 22/7 2 8 2 1 61
1979 15 24/8 1 9 1 58
1980 14 20/5 3 13 1 56
1981 16 16/5 1 12 50
1982 18 12/9 1 9 1 50
1983 18 19/9 1 9 2 58
1984 18 18/11 2 8 2 59
1985 17 10/2 1 8 38
1986 14 1 8 23
1987 14 20/6 1 8 1 50
1988 15 14/2 8 1 40
1989 11 8 1 8 28
1990 8 1 1 6 2 18
1991 7 1 6 14
1992 6 2 8
1993 1 1
1994 2 2
Total 215 815 207 508 21 24 45 147*** 23 18 2,036****
A=atmosphere; U=underground. *Numbers after the "/" represent Soviet or U.S. peaceful nuclear explosions. **All British underground tests were conducted in the United States. ***12 French safety tests not identified by date are not included here, however they have been added to the grand total. ****Includes one underground explosion by India on May 18, 1974.
Nuclear Notebook is prepared by Robert S. Norris and William M. Arkin of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Inquiries should be directed to: NRDC, 1200 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C.,
Using the NEIC quake catalog starting in 1973 and ending November of 2003 there was a grand total of 456 earthquakes of M>7.0 and larger.
1973---13
1974---14
1975---15
1976---17
1977---13
1978---16
1979---13
1980---14
1981---13
1982---10
1983---14
1984---8
1985---14
1986---6
1987---11
1988---8
1989---7
1990---12
1991---11
1992---23
1993---16
1994---15
1995---25
1996---22
1997---20
1998---16
1999---23
2000---20
2001---18
2002---13
2003---16 to date.
As one can see there were fewer quakes in the 80s, but this doesn’t mean that this was caused by nuclear testing. There can be other factors not known such as a normal quiet period, or a cycle that isn’t known to us.
Statistics are all well and good, but I have learned that there are times they can mean only what the person with the statistics wants them to mean. Take Care…Don in creepy town

http://www.nemre.nn.doe.gov/review2000/3-Seismic%20Source%20Characterization/03-07.PDF

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