1977 Soviet nuclear tests

1977
1977
	Nuclear blast animation
Information
Country	Soviet Union
Test site	Atyrau, Kazakhstan; Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Irkutsk, Russia; Krasnoyarsk, Russia; NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia; Sary-Uzen/Murzhik, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Zabaykalsky (then Chita), Russia
Period	1977
Number of tests	24
Test type	underground shaft, tunnel
Max. yield	120 kilotonnes of TNT (500 TJ)
Test series chronology

The Soviet Union's 1977 nuclear test series[1] was a group of 24 nuclear tests conducted in 1977. These tests [note 1] followed the 1976 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the 1978 Soviet nuclear tests series.

Soviet Union's 1977 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]	Yield[note 9]	Fallout[note 10]	References	Notes
458	29 March 1977 03:56:58	ALMT (6 hrs)	Sary-Uzen/Murzhik, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 130 49.97°N 78.086°E / 49.97; 78.086 (458)	460 m (1,510 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development	24 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]	Supposed to be in the Sary-Uzen test area, simultaneous with 457 in Degelen.
457 - 1	29 March 1977 03:56:59.95	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 707 49.7704°N 78.0136°E / 49.7704; 78.0136 (457 - 1)	735 m (2,411 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	25 kt		[1][3][5][6][7]
457 - 2	29 March 1977 03:57:00.0	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 707 49.7704°N 78.0136°E / 49.7704; 78.0136 (457 - 2)	735 m (2,411 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][3][5][6][8]
457 - 3	29 March 1977 03:57:00.0	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 707 49.7704°N 78.0136°E / 49.7704; 78.0136 (457 - 3)	735 m (2,411 ft) +	tunnel, safety experiment	1000 kg		[1][3][5][6][8]	Simultaneous with 458.
459	25 April 1977 04:07:00.16	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 604p 49.8076°N 78.1144°E / 49.8076; 78.1144 (459)	770 m (2,530 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	10 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]
460	29 May 1977 02:57:00.13	ALMT (6 hrs)	Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1400 49.94639°N 78.77167°E / 49.94639; 78.77167 (460)	330 m (1,080 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development	44 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]
461	29 June 1977 03:07:00.24	ALMT (6 hrs)	Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1080 50.00211°N 78.86589°E / 50.00211; 78.86589 (461)	330 m (1,080 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development	9 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]
462 Meteorit 2 (Meteorite)	26 July 1977 17:00:00.2	KRAT (7 hrs)	Krasnoyarsk, Russia: M2 69.575°N 90.375°E / 69.575; 90.375 (462 Meteorit 2 (Meteorite))	– 880 m (2,890 ft)	underground shaft, seismic sounding	15 kt		[1][4][5][6][8]	Seismic probing program.
463 - 1	30 July 1977 01:57:00.11	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 175 49.75°N 78.0399°E / 49.75; 78.0399 (463 - 1)	682 m (2,238 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	11 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]
463 - 2	30 July 1977 01:57:00.1	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 175 49.75°N 78.0399°E / 49.75; 78.0399 (463 - 2)	682 m (2,238 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][3][5][6][8]
464 Meteorit 5 (Meteorite)	10 August 1977 22:00:00.1	YAKT (9 hrs)	Zabaykalsky (then Chita), Russia: M5 50.955°N 110.983°E / 50.955; 110.983 (464 Meteorit 5 (Meteorite))	685 m (2,247 ft) – 490 m (1,610 ft)	underground shaft, seismic sounding	8.5 kt		[1][4][5][6][8]	Seismic probing program.
465	17 August 1977 04:26:59.97	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 111 49.82615°N 78.12007°E / 49.82615; 78.12007 (465)	640 m (2,100 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	8 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]
466 Meteorit 3 (Meteorite)	20 August 1977 22:00:00.8	KRAT (7 hrs)	Krasnoyarsk, Russia: M3 64.108°N 99.558°E / 64.108; 99.558 (466 Meteorit 3 (Meteorite))	– 600 m (2,000 ft)	underground shaft, seismic sounding	8.5 kt		[1][4][5][6][8]	Seismic probing program.
467 - 1	1 September 1977 02:59:57.97	MSK (3 hrs)	NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-17 73.339°N 54.619°E / 73.339; 54.619 (467 - 1)	100 m (330 ft) – 600 m (2,000 ft)	tunnel, weapons development	120 kt		[1][4][5][6][7]
467 - 2	1 September 1977 02:59:58.0	MSK (3 hrs)	NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-17 73.339°N 54.619°E / 73.339; 54.619 (467 - 2)	100 m (330 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][5][6][8][9]
467 - 3	1 September 1977 02:59:58.0	MSK (3 hrs)	NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-17 73.339°N 54.619°E / 73.339; 54.619 (467 - 3)	100 m (330 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][5][6][8][9]
467 - 4	1 September 1977 02:59:58.0	MSK (3 hrs)	NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-17 73.339°N 54.619°E / 73.339; 54.619 (467 - 4)	100 m (330 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][5][6][8][9]
468 - 1	5 September 1977 03:02:59.96	ALMT (6 hrs)	Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1079 50.05666°N 78.93845°E / 50.05666; 78.93845 (468 - 1)	330 m (1,080 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development	78 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]
468 - 2	5 September 1977 03:03:00.0	ALMT (6 hrs)	Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1079 50.05666°N 78.93845°E / 50.05666; 78.93845 (468 - 2)	330 m (1,080 ft) +	underground shaft, fundamental science	unknown yield		[1][5][6][8][10]
469 Meteorit 4 (Meteorite)	10 September 1977 16:00:00.2	IRKT (8 hrs)	Irkutsk, Russia: M4 57.251°N 106.551°E / 57.251; 106.551 (469 Meteorit 4 (Meteorite))	– 540 m (1,770 ft)	underground shaft, industrial	7.6 kt		[1][4][5][6][8]	Seismic probing program. 120 km NE Uzst-Kut.
470 Galit A5 (Halite)	30 September 1977 06:59:58.4	SHET (5 hrs)	Atyrau, Kazakhstan: A-V 47.89717°N 48.16124°E / 47.89717; 48.16124 (470 Galit A5 (Halite))	– 1,500 m (4,900 ft)	underground shaft, industrial	10 kt		[1][4][5][6][8]	Create reservoirs for gas storage. Location looks like a subsidence crater.
471	9 October 1977 10:59:58.12	MSK (3 hrs)	NZ Area B, Matochkin Shar, Novaya Zemlya, Russia: A-7P 73.409°N 54.927°E / 73.409; 54.927 (471)	100 m (330 ft) – 160 m (520 ft)	tunnel, weapons development	5 kt	Venting detected off site, 3 kCi (110 TBq)	[1][4][5][6][7]
472 Galit A2.2 (Halite)	14 October 1977 06:59:59.1	SHET (5 hrs)	Atyrau, Kazakhstan: A-II-3 47.909°N 47.912°E / 47.909; 47.912 (472 Galit A2.2 (Halite))	– 600 m (2,000 ft)	underground shaft, industrial	100 t		[1][5][6][8][9]	Create reservoirs for gas storage. This shot was a fizzle.
473 - 1	29 October 1977 03:06:59.97	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 136 49.8265°N 78.0801°E / 49.8265; 78.0801 (473 - 1)	638 m (2,093 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	42 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]
473 - 2	29 October 1977 03:07:00.0	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 136 49.8265°N 78.0801°E / 49.8265; 78.0801 (473 - 2)	638 m (2,093 ft) +	tunnel, fundamental science	unknown yield		[1][3][5][6][8]
474	29 October 1977 03:07:04.92	ALMT (6 hrs)	Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1214 50.04851°N 78.98633°E / 50.04851; 78.98633 (474)	330 m (1,080 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development	50 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]
475 Galit A2.3 (Halite)	30 October 1977 06:59:59.1	SHET (5 hrs)	Atyrau, Kazakhstan: A-II-4 47.909°N 47.912°E / 47.909; 47.912 (475 Galit A2.3 (Halite))	– 600 m (2,000 ft)	underground shaft, industrial	100 t		[1][5][6][8][9]	Create reservoirs for gas storage. A fizzle.
476	12 November 1977 05:11:00.0	ALMT (6 hrs)	Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 1073 50.05222°N 78.86444°E / 50.05222; 78.86444 (476)	330 m (1,080 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][3][5][6][8]
477	27 November 1977 03:57:00.0	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 18p 49.75725°N 78.05279°E / 49.75725; 78.05279 (477)	537 m (1,762 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][3][5][6][8]
478 - 1	30 November 1977 04:06:59.94	ALMT (6 hrs)	Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: Glubokaya 49.96722°N 78.87444°E / 49.96722; 78.87444 (478 - 1)	330 m (1,080 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development	70 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]
478 - 2	30 November 1977 04:06:59.9	ALMT (6 hrs)	Balapan, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: Glubokaya 49.96722°N 78.87444°E / 49.96722; 78.87444 (478 - 2)	330 m (1,080 ft) +	underground shaft, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][3][5][6][10]
479	26 December 1977 04:03:??	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 803 49.81683°N 78.05366°E / 49.81683; 78.05366 (479)	722 m (2,369 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][3][5][6][8]
480 - 1	26 December 1977 04:03:00.24	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 123p 49.80554°N 78.11539°E / 49.80554; 78.11539 (480 - 1)	752 m (2,467 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	6 kt		[1][3][4][5][6]
480 - 2	26 December 1977 04:03:00	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 122p 49.80621°N 78.11687°E / 49.80621; 78.11687 (480 - 2)	711 m (2,333 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	1000 kg		[1][3][5][6][8]
480 - 3	26 December 1977 04:03:00	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 122p 49.80621°N 78.11687°E / 49.80621; 78.11687 (480 - 3)	711 m (2,333 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][3][5][6][8]
480 - 4	26 December 1977 04:03:00	ALMT (6 hrs)	Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: 122p 49.80621°N 78.11687°E / 49.80621; 78.11687 (480 - 4)	711 m (2,333 ft) +	tunnel, weapons development	unknown yield		[1][3][5][6][8]

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. "Catalog of World Wide Nuclear Testing". Begell-Atom, LLC. Archived from the original on 2014-04-26. Retrieved 2013-12-17. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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.
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. Historical time zone data obtained from the IANA time zone database.
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.
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.
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.
Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down.
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.
Estimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie).
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

Yang, Xiaoping; North, Robert; Romney, Carl (August 2000). CMR Nuclear Explosion Database (Revision 3) (Technical report). SMDC Monitoring Research.
"Time Zone Historical Database". iana.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
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. S2CID 128953780. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
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.
Podvig, Pavel, ed. (2001). Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 9780262661812. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
USSR Nuclear Weapons Tests and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions 1949 through 1990. Sarov, Russia: RFNC-VNIIEF. 1996. The official Russian list of Soviet tests.
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.
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.
Andrushkin, Vitaly V.; Leith, William (September 1, 2001). The containment of Soviet underground nuclear explosions (PDF) (Open File Report 01-312). USGS. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
Thurber, Clifford; Trabant, Chad; Haslinger, Florian; Hartog, Renate (2001). Nuclear explosion locations at the Balapan, Kazakhstan, nuclear test site: the effects of high-precision arrival times and three-dimensional structure. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors (Technical report). Vol. 123. pp. 283–301. doi:10.1016/s0031-9201(00)00215-6. Retrieved December 13, 2013.

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[2] 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. "Catalog of World Wide Nuclear Testing". Begell-Atom, LLC. Archived from the original on 2014-04-26. Retrieved 2013-12-17. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[3] 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.

[4] 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. Historical time zone data obtained from the IANA time zone database.

[6] 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.

[7] 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.

[8] 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.

[9] Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down.

[10] 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.

[11] Estimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie).

[12] 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.

[LT_1-1] Yang, Xiaoping; North, Robert; Romney, Carl (August 2000). CMR Nuclear Explosion Database (Revision 3) (Technical report). SMDC Monitoring Research.

[5] "Time Zone Historical Database". iana.com. Retrieved March 8, 2014.

[LT_41-13] 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. S2CID 128953780. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2013.

[LT_36-14] 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.

[LT_31-15] Podvig, Pavel, ed. (2001). Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 9780262661812. Retrieved January 9, 2014.

[LT_7-16] USSR Nuclear Weapons Tests and Peaceful Nuclear Explosions 1949 through 1990. Sarov, Russia: RFNC-VNIIEF. 1996. The official Russian list of Soviet tests.

[LT_49-17] 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.

[LT_52-18] 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.

[LT_201-19] Andrushkin, Vitaly V.; Leith, William (September 1, 2001). The containment of Soviet underground nuclear explosions (PDF) (Open File Report 01-312). USGS. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.

[LT_45-20] Thurber, Clifford; Trabant, Chad; Haslinger, Florian; Hartog, Renate (2001). Nuclear explosion locations at the Balapan, Kazakhstan, nuclear test site: the effects of high-precision arrival times and three-dimensional structure. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors (Technical report). Vol. 123. pp. 283–301. doi:10.1016/s0031-9201(00)00215-6. Retrieved December 13, 2013.