From NewScientist.com
Telltale gas confirms Korean nuclear test
NewScientist.com news service
23 Oct 2007
Catherine Brahic
Unusually high levels of a radioactive noble gas detected in northern Canada are final confirmation that North Korea detonated a nuclear device underground in October 2006, say UN researchers.
The result demonstrates that a UN system to monitor nuclear explosions worldwide is up and running, and able to "sniff" such events from a great distance. Atmospheric levels of an isotope of the noble gas xenon suggest the test was relatively small and carried out underground.
On 3 October 2006, the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced that it was going to conduct a nuclear test.
On 9 October 2006, seismic monitoring stations detected a tremor, and the US Geological Survey determined that it had originated in North Korea, suggesting that the test had been carried out. Unfortunately, seismic data is not able to differentiate between nuclear and other types of explosion, such as those used in mining.
The North Korean government confirmed this, but scientists said they would reserve final judgement regarding the size and nature of the explosion, preferring to defer to seismic data combined with chemical evidence, rather than rely on the government's claims.
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