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Seismic readings taken 62 miles (100 kilometers) west of the explosion site could also be evidence of a large initial nuclear blast, the authors said, while the pattern of damage dealt to the reactor, which included the melting of a two-meter-thick core plate, may have been caused by a nuclear explosion preceding the steam blast.Over email, I asked De Geer if he had any further studies in the works about the reimagined meltdown sequence, but he told me this is just one of many post-retirement projects in his “bag of ideas,” and next up, he’ll be researching nuclear tests, rather than accidents.Other nuclear scientists, however, may follow-up on this possible twist to one of the most investigated technological disasters in history. It will be up to them to find out if there is evidence to either further substantiate the new chronology, or poke holes in it. Either way, Chernobyl is still full of mystery, both macabre and fascinating, over three decades after the region was changed forever.Get six of our favorite Motherboard stories every day by signing up for our newsletter.Read More: Please Do Not Pet the Radioactive Puppies of Chernobyl