Many experts are already skeptical of North Korea's claims of a successful hydrogen bomb test

Harrison Jacobs

Jan 6, 2016, 10:31 IST

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives a New Year's address for 2016 in Pyongyang, in this undated photo released by Kyodo January 1, 2016. REUTERS/Kyodo/Files

Thomson Reuters

File photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un giving a New Year's address for 2016 in Pyongyang

North Korea announced on state television Wednesday that it had successfully detonated a "miniaturized" hydrogen bomb.

The announcement came hours after South Korean officials reported an "artificial earthquake" 30 miles north of Kilju, where North Korea's primary nuclear test site is located.

The US Geological Survey measured the magnitude of the quake as 5.1, the same magnitude reported after North Korea's last confirmed nuclear test in February 2013.

Despite North Korea's announcement, many geopolitical experts remained skeptical of the claims of successful hydrogen-bomb test, undoubtedly due to North Korean state media's tendency to exaggerate or outright lie about happenings in the isolated nation.

Here are just a few:

#DPRK saying it has H-bomb and testing an H-bomb are two different things.
- Melissa Hanham (@mhanham) January 6, 2016

DPRK's "successful" H-bomb test should have been orders of magnitude stronger than earlier A-bomb tests. But it wasn't. Skepticism in order.
- Chico Harlan (@chicoharlan) January 6, 2016

An H-bomb is harder to make than a fission bomb, so let's not jump at any DPRK propaganda before we have a clearer picture.
- Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 6, 2016

Some are suggesting that North Korea may have successfully detonated a nuclear bomb of some kind, but that it is unlikely to be a true hydrogen bomb. Others are noting the similarities in some measures between a 2013 nuclear test and Wednesday's:

Yield of DPRK nuke test appears very roughly the same as 2009, i.e. about 10 kT. More accurate yield estimate requires depth estimate.
- James Acton (@james_acton32) January 6, 2016

Big question for yield estimate: Did DPRK nuke test take place at North (formerly West) portal where 2009 & 2013 tests took place?
- James Acton (@james_acton32) January 6, 2016

*IF* yield is c. 10 kT, seems unlikely to be true 2-stage thermonuclear bomb. Maybe a small boosted primary? Or a vanilla fission device?
- James Acton (@james_acton32) January 6, 2016

2013 & 2016 N Korean nukes recorded in China. 2016 has tad smaller amp but diff location which could affect amp. pic.twitter.com/AiMhK6UNS7
- Alex Hutko (@alexanderhutko) January 6, 2016

Re-cap: 2016 N Korea test appears similar (seismic) size as 2013, which was ~5-10 kilotons of TNT, small for H-bombhttps://t.co/mAb1UyyWvx
- Jascha Polet (@CPPGeophysics) January 6, 2016

NOW WATCH: The moment when soldiers return home from deployment and surprise their loved ones

Next Story A mysterious 'artificial' earthquake was just detected near a North Korea nuke-test site