1967 Soviet nuclear tests

1967
Information
Country	Soviet Union
Test site	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia; Sary-Uzen/Murzhik, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Tyumen, Russia
Period	1967
Number of tests	17
Test type	underground shaft, underground tunnel
Max. yield	260 kilotonnes of TNT (1,100 TJ)
Navigation
Previous test series	1966 Soviet nuclear tests
Next test series	1968 Soviet nuclear tests

The Soviet Union's 1967 nuclear test series^[1] was a group of 17 nuclear tests conducted in 1967. These tests ^{[note 1]} followed the 1966 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the 1968 Soviet nuclear tests series.

Soviet Union's 1967 series tests and detonations

Name [note 2]	Date time (UT)	Local time zone [note 3][2]	Location [note 4]	Elevation + height [note 5]	Delivery, [note 6] Purpose [note 7]	Device [note 8]	Yield [note 9]	Fallout [note 10]	References	Notes
263 - 1	30 January 1967 04:01:59.5	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 611 49°46′03″N 77°59′29″E / 49.7674°N 77.9914°E	727 m (2,385 ft) +	underground tunnel, weapons development		4.6 kt		[1][3][4][5][6][7]
263 - 2	30 January 1967 04:01:59.5	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 611 49°46′03″N 77°59′29″E / 49.7674°N 77.9914°E	727 m (2,385 ft) +	underground tunnel, weapons development		unknown yield		[1][3][4][6][7][8]
264	26 February 1967 03:57:59.8	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 21 49°44′45″N 78°04′56″E / 49.7457°N 78.0823°E	676 m (2,218 ft) +	underground tunnel, fundamental science		130 kt		[1][3][4][5][6][7]
265 - 1	25 March 1967 05:58:01.1	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 19 49°45′13″N 78°03′47″E / 49.7536°N 78.063°E	728 m (2,388 ft) +	underground tunnel, weapons development		18 kt		[1][3][4][5][6][7]
265 - 2	25 March 1967 05:58:01.1	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 19 49°45′13″N 78°03′47″E / 49.7536°N 78.063°E	728 m (2,388 ft) +	underground tunnel, weapon effect		unknown yield		[1][3][4][6][7][8]
266	20 April 1967 04:08:00.0	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 25p 49°44′30″N 78°06′19″E / 49.7416°N 78.1054°E	739 m (2,425 ft) +	underground tunnel, peaceful research		37 kt		[1][3][4][5][6][7]
267 - 1	28 May 1967 04:07:59.6	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 11p 49°45′23″N 78°01′01″E / 49.7564°N 78.0169°E	765 m (2,510 ft) +	underground tunnel, peaceful research		28 kt	Venting detected	[1][3][4][5][6][7]
267 - 2	28 May 1967 04:07:59.6	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 11p 49°45′23″N 78°01′01″E / 49.7564°N 78.0169°E	765 m (2,510 ft) +	underground tunnel, peaceful research		unknown yield	Venting detected	[1][3][4][6][7][8]
268	29 June 1967 02:56:59.9	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 703 49°49′00″N 78°02′56″E / 49.8167°N 78.049°E	653 m (2,142 ft) +	underground tunnel, weapons development		20 kt		[1][3][4][5][6][7]
269	15 July 1967 03:26:59.9	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 506 49°50′09″N 78°07′06″E / 49.8359°N 78.1182°E	580 m (1,900 ft) +	underground tunnel, peaceful research		23 kt		[1][3][4][5][6][7]
270 - 1	4 August 1967 06:58:00.3	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 18 49°45′37″N 78°03′20″E / 49.7603°N 78.0555°E	537 m (1,762 ft) +	underground tunnel, weapons development		19 kt		[1][3][4][5][6][7]
270 - 2	4 August 1967 06:58:00.3	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 18 49°45′37″N 78°03′20″E / 49.7603°N 78.0555°E	537 m (1,762 ft) +	underground tunnel, weapons development		unknown yield		[1][3][4][6][7][8]
271	2 September 1967 04:04:00.0	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 13p 49°44′42″N 78°01′20″E / 49.74487°N 78.02234°E	721 m (2,365 ft) +	underground tunnel, weapons development		700 t		[1][4][6][7][9]
272	16 September 1967 04:04:00.3	ALMT (6 hrs)	Sary-Uzen/Murzhik, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 102 49°56′16″N 77°43′41″E / 49.93769°N 77.72794°E	460 m (1,510 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development		16 kt		[1][4][5][6][7]
273	22 September 1967 05:03:59.0	ALMT (6 hrs)	Sary-Uzen/Murzhik, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 105 49°57′36″N 77°41′26″E / 49.96006°N 77.69059°E	460 m (1,510 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development		10 kt		[1][4][5][6][7]
274 Tavda	6 October 1967 06:59:57.5	SVET (5 hrs)	Tyumen, Russia: Tavda sft 57°41′N 65°16′E / 57.69°N 65.27°E	- 170 m (560 ft)	underground shaft, cavity excavation		300 t		[1][5][6][7][8][10]
275 - 1	17 October 1967 05:04:00.2	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: B 49°46′51″N 78°00′14″E / 49.7809°N 78.0038°E	698 m (2,290 ft) +	underground tunnel, peaceful research		45 kt		[1][3][4][5][6][7]
275 - 2	17 October 1967 05:04:00.2	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: B 49°46′51″N 78°00′14″E / 49.7809°N 78.0038°E	698 m (2,290 ft) +	underground tunnel, peaceful research		unknown yield		[1][3][4][6][7][8]
276 - 1	21 October 1967 04:59:58.49	MSK (3 hrs)	NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-4 73°23′N 54°49′E / 73.39°N 54.81°E	100 m (330 ft) - 600 m (2,000 ft)	underground tunnel, weapons development		260 kt	Venting detected on site, 10 Ci (370 GBq)	[1][5][6][7][9]
276 - 2	21 October 1967 04:59:59	MSK (3 hrs)	NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-5 73°23′N 54°49′E / 73.39°N 54.81°E	100 m (330 ft) - 500 m (1,600 ft)	underground tunnel, weapons development		unknown yield		[1][6][7][8][11]
277	30 October 1967 06:04:00.0	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 501 49°47′40″N 78°00′28″E / 49.7944°N 78.0079°E	670 m (2,200 ft) +	underground tunnel, weapons development		25 kt		[1][3][4][5][6][7]
278	22 November 1967 04:03:59.9	ALMT (6 hrs)	Sary-Uzen/Murzhik, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 106 49°56′33″N 77°41′09″E / 49.94238°N 77.68593°E	460 m (1,510 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development		1.6 kt		[1][4][5][6][7]
279	8 December 1967 06:03:59.8	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 507 49°49′02″N 78°09′50″E / 49.8171°N 78.1638°E	504 m (1,654 ft) +	underground tunnel, weapons development		19 kt		[1][3][4][5][6][7]

1. A 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". Mikhailov, V. N., Editor in Chief. "Catalog of World Wide Nuclear Testing". Begell-Atom, LLC.
2. 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.
3. To 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. All historical timezone data are derived from here:
4. Rough 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down.
8. Designations 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.
9. Estimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie).
10. Radioactive 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

1. Yang, Xiaoping; North, Robert; Romney, Carl (August 2000). CMR Nuclear Explosion Database (Revision 3) (Technical report). SMDC Monitoring Research.
2. "Timezone Historical Database". iana.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
3. Thurber, Clifford; Trabant, Chad; Hartog, Renate. Assessing Event Location Capability with Ground Truth Events at the Degelen Mountain Test Site, Kazakhstan (DSWA01-98-10008). Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Arms Control Technology Division, Nuclear Treaties Branch. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
4. Khalturin, Vitaly I.; Rautian, Tatyana G.; Richards, Paul G. (2000). "Chemical explosions during 1961-1989 on the Semipalatinsk Test Site, Kazakhstan" (PDF). Pure and Applied Geophysics. 158: 143–171. doi:10.1007/pl00001153. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
5. Cochran, Thomas B.; Arkin, William M.; Norris, Robert S.; Sands, Jeffrey I. Nuclear Weapons Databook Vol. IV: Soviet Nuclear Weapons. New York, NY: Harper and Row.
6. Podvig, Pavel, ed. (2001). Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
7. USSR Nuclear Weapons Tests and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions 1949 through 1990. Sarov, Russia: RFNC-VNIIEF. 1996. The official Russian list of Soviet tests.
8. Nuclear explosions in the USSR: The North Test Site reference material, version 4 (PDF) (Technical report). IAEA Dept. of Nuclear Safety and Security. December 1, 2004. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
9. Kim, Won-Young; Richards, Paul G.; Andrushkin, Vitaly; Ovtchinnikov, Vladimir (April 1, 2001). Borovoye digital seismogram archive for underground nuclear tests during 1966-1996 (PDF) (Technical report). LDEO. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
10. Nordyke, M.D. The Soviet Program for Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Explosions (PDF) (UCRL-ID-12441O Rev 2). Retrieved December 13, 2013.
11. Andrushkin, Vitaly V.; Leith, William (September 1, 2001). The containment of Soviet underground nuclear explosions (PDF) (Open File Report 01-312). USGS. Retrieved December 13, 2013.