Prepared by Paul Richards.

When the Threshold Test Ban Treaty entered into force in late 1990, the US and the USSR were obliged to exchange information on the boundaries of their nuclear test sites. The information resides in the US State Department Library, from which I obtained the following information for the Semipalatinsk Test Site:



The coordinates of 152 posts around the Semipalatinsk Test Site were listed by the Soviet Union. This information is contained below in Table 1.

But:
  1. Post #71 was listed with wrong coordinates.
  2. The map received from the Soviets, and stored in the State Dept. Treaty library, has additional posts marked as numbers 100a and 102a. Also, posts #101 and #102 are not in the position of the coordinates in the listed set.
  3. In a couple of places, the boundary between posts should be curved, not straight.


I was able to see the map in the State Department Treaty Library - which is definitive.

I have fixed items 1 and 2 by using the mapped position of the posts to get their coords. I have fixed item 3 by adding a few points.

To implement these changes, use 212 lines from Table 2, below. These are the 212 points I used for the boundaries shown in the Figure here, which is Figure 1 of the PAGEOPH paper published in 2001 by Khalturin et al (available as online version). In addition to the boundaries, it also shows the location of 279 underground nuclear explosions. Now I give the Tables.

Table 1 is the listed set (with Soviet errors) (they gave us degrees/minutes/seconds, which I repeat, and I also give the decimal degree bottom line):

Table 1.
post number lat(deg) 'lat "lat lat(deg.dec) long(deg) 'long "long long(deg.dec)
1 50 47 10 50.7861 78 29 33 78.4925
2 50 45 49 50.7636 78 28 13 78.4703
3 50 44 31 50.7419 78 27 55 78.4653
4 50 44 10 50.7361 78 25 50 78.4306
5 50 44 5 50.7347 78 24 30 78.4083
6 50 44 13 50.7369 78 23 41 78.3947
7 50 44 25 50.7403 78 22 54 78.3817
8 50 44 38 50.7439 78 21 35 78.3597
9 50 45 8 50.7522 78 19 2 78.3172
10 50 46 50 50.7806 78 18 20 78.3056
11 50 48 13 50.8036 78 15 18 78.2550
12 50 48 50 50.8139 78 13 45 78.2292
13 50 49 5 50.8181 78 13 1 78.2169
14 50 49 37 50.8269 78 11 23 78.1897
15 50 49 45 50.8292 78 10 18 78.1717
16 50 49 58 50.8328 78 8 20 78.1389
17 50 50 8 50.8356 78 6 35 78.1097
18 50 50 21 50.8392 78 4 40 78.0778
19 50 50 43 50.8453 78 1 32 78.0256
20 50 51 32 50.8589 77 58 49 77.9803
21 50 52 43 50.8786 77 56 0 77.9333
22 50 54 1 50.9003 77 53 28 77.8911
23 50 54 50 50.9139 77 52 7 77.8686
24 50 55 9 50.9192 77 47 38 77.7939
25 50 54 55 50.9153 77 45 49 77.7636
26 50 55 0 50.9167 77 42 10 77.7028
27 50 54 41 50.9114 77 37 6 77.6183
28 50 54 55 50.9153 77 34 10 77.5694
29 50 54 45 50.9125 77 28 48 77.4800
30 50 54 43 50.9119 77 26 1 77.4336
31 50 54 10 50.9028 77 23 25 77.3903
32 50 53 8 50.8856 77 21 7 77.3519
33 50 51 23 50.8564 77 18 40 77.3111
34 50 50 12 50.8367 77 17 10 77.2861
35 50 49 5 50.8181 77 15 22 77.2561
36 50 47 29 50.7914 77 14 8 77.2356
37 50 46 35 50.7764 77 12 29 77.2081
38 50 45 56 50.7656 77 11 31 77.1919
39 50 43 55 50.7319 77 8 50 77.1472
40 50 42 7 50.7019 77 6 42 77.1117
41 50 40 39 50.6775 77 5 19 77.0886
42 50 39 27 50.6575 77 4 12 77.0700
43 50 38 34 50.6428 77 7 2 77.1172
44 50 33 45 50.5625 77 15 24 77.2567
45 50 32 4 50.5344 77 13 35 77.2264
46 50 30 9 50.5025 77 11 33 77.1925
47 50 27 25 50.4569 77 12 39 77.2108
48 50 25 44 50.4289 77 13 20 77.2222
49 50 25 58 50.4328 77 10 39 77.1775
50 50 25 27 50.4242 77 9 24 77.1567
51 50 24 18 50.4050 77 11 20 77.1889
52 50 22 26 50.3739 77 12 18 77.2050
53 50 20 41 50.3447 77 13 14 77.2206
54 50 19 37 50.3269 77 14 9 77.2358
55 50 18 39 50.3108 77 14 57 77.2492
56 50 17 20 50.2889 77 16 11 77.2697
57 50 14 59 50.2497 77 16 52 77.2811
58 50 13 42 50.2283 77 17 11 77.2864
59 50 12 33 50.2092 77 19 40 77.3278
60 50 10 16 50.1711 77 21 41 77.3614
61 50 7 16 50.1211 77 24 39 77.4108
62 50 4 46 50.0794 77 28 9 77.4692
63 50 3 36 50.0600 77 29 40 77.4944
64 50 3 11 50.0531 77 28 50 77.4806
65 50 1 20 50.0222 77 26 51 77.4475
66 49 56 30 49.9417 77 13 53 77.2314
67 49 56 30 49.9417 77 12 28 77.2078
68 49 56 16 49.9378 77 10 59 77.1831
69 49 55 38 49.9272 77 10 0 77.1667
70 49 52 44 49.8789 77 8 49 77.1469
71 49 57 41 49.9614 77 9 50 77.1639
72 49 49 25 49.8236 77 9 11 77.1531
73 49 46 21 49.7725 77 8 46 77.1461
74 49 45 25 49.7569 77 11 0 77.1833
75 49 42 21 49.7058 77 10 40 77.1778
76 49 41 4 49.6844 77 10 6 77.1683
77 49 38 10 49.6361 77 7 31 77.1253
78 49 36 55 49.6153 77 6 18 77.1050
79 49 33 37 49.5603 77 8 10 77.1361
80 49 31 58 49.5328 77 9 10 77.1528
81 49 29 55 49.4986 77 9 38 77.1606
82 49 27 52 49.4644 77 13 12 77.2200
83 49 27 42 49.4617 77 15 42 77.2617
84 49 27 15 49.4542 77 18 27 77.3075
85 49 27 8 49.4522 77 19 6 77.3183
86 49 26 12 49.4367 77 21 50 77.3639
87 49 25 47 49.4297 77 22 43 77.3786
88 49 25 1 49.4169 77 26 9 77.4358
89 49 24 40 49.4111 77 27 36 77.4600
90 49 23 18 49.3883 77 29 0 77.4833
91 49 21 24 49.3567 77 31 40 77.5278
92 49 20 48 49.3467 77 32 35 77.5431
93 49 20 40 49.3444 77 35 47 77.5964
94 49 20 56 49.3489 77 39 54 77.6650
95 49 20 53 49.3481 77 43 43 77.7286
96 49 21 2 49.3506 77 49 16 77.8211
97 49 21 17 49.3547 77 55 49 77.9303
98 49 21 31 49.3586 78 0 37 78.0103
99 49 21 41 49.3614 78 5 45 78.0958
100 49 21 21 49.3558 78 7 6 78.1183
101 49 20 53 49.3481 78 11 44 78.1956
102 49 20 58 49.3494 78 14 48 78.2467
103 49 22 42 49.3783 78 21 31 78.3586
104 49 25 10 49.4194 78 26 48 78.4467
105 49 26 47 49.4464 78 30 36 78.5100
106 49 28 32 49.4756 78 34 44 78.5789
107 49 28 51 49.4808 78 35 28 78.5911
108 49 31 39 49.5275 78 40 23 78.6731
109 49 34 14 49.5706 78 39 10 78.6528
110 49 35 15 49.5875 78 39 50 78.6639
111 49 35 46 49.5961 78 39 5 78.6514
112 49 36 12 49.6033 78 38 24 78.6400
113 49 38 13 49.6369 78 37 9 78.6192
114 49 39 9 49.6525 78 37 49 78.6303
115 49 40 41 49.6781 78 38 53 78.6481
116 49 41 49 49.6969 78 41 41 78.6947
117 49 41 57 49.6992 78 42 36 78.7100
118 49 42 4 49.7011 78 43 28 78.7244
119 49 41 53 49.6981 78 47 11 78.7864
120 49 41 39 49.6942 78 49 17 78.8214
121 49 44 22 49.7394 78 52 16 78.8711
122 49 46 41 49.7781 78 57 35 78.9597
123 49 46 57 49.7825 79 4 7 79.0686
124 49 49 16 49.8211 79 6 56 79.1156
125 49 51 24 49.8567 79 5 4 79.0844
125a 49 51 41 49.8614 79 6 43 79.1119
126 49 53 33 49.8925 79 10 4 79.1678
126a 49 53 51 49.8975 79 8 31 79.1419
127 49 55 38 49.9272 79 10 55 79.1819
128 50 0 36 50.0100 79 5 15 79.0875
129 50 2 10 50.0361 79 7 28 79.1244
130 50 3 47 50.0631 79 3 48 79.0633
131 50 5 27 50.0908 78 59 33 78.9925
132 50 6 27 50.1075 78 56 39 78.9442
133 50 7 43 50.1286 78 53 38 78.8939
134 50 8 10 50.1361 78 48 35 78.8097
135 50 9 52 50.1644 78 49 9 78.8192
136 50 12 47 50.2131 78 48 8 78.8022
137 50 16 11 50.2697 78 47 31 78.7919
138 50 19 7 50.3186 78 47 8 78.7856
139 50 21 32 50.3589 78 46 39 78.7775
140 50 24 7 50.4019 78 46 20 78.7722
141 50 26 30 50.4417 78 45 37 78.7603
142 50 27 28 50.4578 78 40 46 78.6794
143 50 30 27 50.5075 78 40 40 78.6778
144 50 33 14 50.5539 78 40 50 78.6806
145 50 35 15 50.5875 78 40 28 78.6744
146 50 35 50 50.5972 78 40 42 78.6783
147 50 37 27 50.6242 78 41 25 78.6903
148 50 38 37 50.6436 78 41 7 78.6853
149 50 40 44 50.6789 78 41 37 78.6936
150 50 41 10 50.6861 78 42 10 78.7028
1 again 50 47 10 50.7861 78 29 33 78.4925


Table 2 is the set of cordinates I use in making my own maps, for example, in Figure 1 of the PAGEOPH article by Khalturin, Rautian and Richards, published in 2001, and giving details of previously undocumented small events on and near the Semipalatinsk Test Site. Online version of PAGEOPH paper

post number lat long
1 50.7861 78.4925
2 50.7636 78.4703
3 50.7419 78.4653
4 50.7361 78.4306
5 50.7347 78.4083
6 50.7369 78.3947
7 50.7403 78.3817
8 50.7439 78.3597
9 50.7522 78.3172
10 50.7806 78.3056
11 50.8036 78.2550
12 50.8139 78.2292
13 50.8181 78.2169
14 50.8269 78.1897
15 50.8292 78.1717
16 50.8328 78.1389
17 50.8356 78.1097
18 50.8392 78.0778
19 50.8453 78.0256
20 50.8589 77.9803
21 50.8786 77.9333
22 50.9003 77.8911
23 50.9139 77.8686
50.9165 77.8313
24 50.9192 77.7939
25 50.9153 77.7636
26 50.9167 77.7028
50.9140 77.6606
27 50.9114 77.6183
28 50.9153 77.5694
50.9139 77.5247
29 50.9125 77.4800
30 50.9119 77.4336
31 50.9028 77.3903
32 50.8856 77.3519
33 50.8564 77.3111
34 50.8367 77.2861
35 50.8181 77.2561
36 50.7914 77.2356
37 50.7764 77.2081
38 50.7656 77.1919
39 50.7319 77.1472
40 50.7019 77.1117
41 50.6775 77.0886
42 50.6575 77.0700
43 50.6428 77.1172
50.6160 77.1637
50.5893 77.2102
44 50.5625 77.2567
45 50.5344 77.2264
46 50.5025 77.1925
50.4797 77.2017
47 50.4569 77.2108
48 50.4289 77.2222
49 50.4328 77.1775
50 50.4242 77.1567
51 50.4050 77.1889
52 50.3739 77.2050
53 50.3447 77.2206
54 50.3269 77.2358
55 50.3108 77.2492
56 50.2889 77.2697
57 50.2497 77.2811
58 50.2283 77.2864
59 50.2092 77.3278
60 50.1711 77.3614
50.1461 77.3861
61 50.1211 77.4108
50.1003 77.4400
62 50.0794 77.4692
63 50.0600 77.4944
64 50.0531 77.4806
65 50.0222 77.4475
50.0122 77.4205
50.0021 77.3935
49.9920 77.3665
49.9819 77.3394
49.9719 77.3124
49.9618 77.2854
49.9517 77.2584
66 49.9417 77.2314
67 49.9417 77.2078
68 49.9378 77.1831
69 49.9272 77.1667
49.9031 77.1568
70 49.8789 77.1469
71 corrected 49.8614 77.1639
72 49.8236 77.1531
49.7981 77.1496
73 49.7725 77.1461
74 49.7569 77.1833
49.7314 77.1806
75 49.7058 77.1778
76 49.6844 77.1683
49.6603 77.1468
77 49.6361 77.1253
78 49.6153 77.1050
49.5878 77.1206
79 49.5603 77.1361
80 49.5328 77.1528
81 49.4986 77.1606
49.4815 77.1903
82 49.4644 77.2200
83 49.4617 77.2617
84 49.4542 77.3075
85 49.4522 77.3183
86 49.4367 77.3639
87 49.4297 77.3786
88 49.4169 77.4358
89 49.4111 77.4600
90 49.3883 77.4833
91 49.3567 77.5278
92 49.3467 77.5431
93 49.3444 77.5964
94 49.3489 77.6650
95 49.3481 77.7286
49.3493 77.7749
96 49.3506 77.8211
49.3526 77.8757
97 49.3547 77.9303
49.3567 77.9703
98 49.3586 78.0103
49.3600 78.0531
99 49.3614 78.0958
100 49.3558 78.1183
100a 49.3430 78.1800
101 49.3090 78.1680
49.3095 78.2245
102 49.3100 78.2810
49.3325 78.2855
102a 49.3550 78.2900
49.3667 78.3243
103 49.3783 78.3586
49.3989 78.4026
104 49.4194 78.4467
49.4329 78.4783
105 49.4464 78.5100
49.4610 78.5444
106 49.4756 78.5789
107 49.4808 78.5911
49.5050 78.6184
49.5119 78.6457
108 49.5275 78.6731
49.5490 78.6629
109 49.5706 78.6528
110 49.5875 78.6639
111 49.5961 78.6514
112 49.6033 78.6400
113 49.6369 78.6192
114 49.6525 78.6303
115 49.6781 78.6481
116 49.6969 78.6947
117 49.6992 78.7100
118 49.7011 78.7244
119 49.6981 78.7864
120 49.6942 78.8214
49.7168 78.8463
121 49.7394 78.8711
49.7523 78.9006
49.7652 78.9302
122 49.7781 78.9597
49.7795 78.9960
49.7810 79.0323
123 49.7825 79.0686
49.8018 79.0921
124 49.8211 79.1156
125 49.8567 79.0844
125a 49.8614 79.1119
49.8769 79.1399
126 49.8925 79.1678
126a 49.8975 79.1419
127 49.9272 79.1819
49.9479 79.1583
49.9686 79.1347
49.9893 79.1111
128 50.0100 79.0875
129 50.0361 79.1244
50.0496 79.0939
130 50.0631 79.0633
50.0769 79.0279
131 50.0908 78.9925
132 50.1075 78.9442
133 50.1286 78.8939
50.1324 78.8518
134 50.1361 78.8097
135 50.1644 78.8192
50.1888 78.8107
136 50.2131 78.8022
50.2414 78.7971
137 50.2697 78.7919
50.2942 78.7888
138 50.3186 78.7856
139 50.3589 78.7775
140 50.4019 78.7722
141 50.4417 78.7603
50.4497 78.7199
142 50.4578 78.6794
50.4826 78.6786
143 50.5075 78.6778
50.5307 78.6792
144 50.5539 78.6806
145 50.5875 78.6744
146 50.5972 78.6783
147 50.6242 78.6903
148 50.6436 78.6853
149 50.6789 78.6936
150 50.6861 78.7028
follow 50.7200 78.6607
the 50.7400 78.6187
Irtysh 50.7461 78.5766
River 50.7800 78.5346
same as 1 50.786178.4925


Phew! What a mess.