CTBT: Science and Technology Conference 2025 - SnT2025

Observation of aftershocks of explosions in the DPRK at teleseismic distances

O2.1-319

Not scheduled

15m

Prinz Eugen Saal

Oral T2.1 Characterization of Treaty-Relevant Events O2.1 Characterization of Treaty-Relevant Events

Speaker

Ivan Kitov

Description

Research into monitoring underground explosions under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) focuses on fully utilizing International Monitoring System (IMS) data to detect events of interest to the CTBT regime. For example, the Punggye-ri test site in the DPRK has been experiencing aftershock activity caused by large underground explosions for the past eight years. The use of waveform cross-correlation (WCC) at IMS stations allows for the detection of several times more weak seismic events at the site than standard International Data Center (IDC) methods. In the five and a half years since the sixth explosion, WCC has detected 30 events that meet IDC bulletin criteria. Over the past year and a half, there has been an increase in post-seismic emission, resulting in the detection of an additional 31 events of unknown origin. The official bulletin of the IDC contains only 11 of the 61 events found by the WCC method.