Speaker
Description
Since the beginning of the nuclear era, the international community has debated ways to reduce the risks of nuclear weapons and their proliferation. In 1996, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, with the aim of banning nuclear test explosions. The treaty obliges State Parties to refrain from conducting nuclear tests and includes an advanced verification system to ensure compliance, which is managed by the Preparatory Commission before the Treaty’s entry into force. This study focuses on assessing the current technology and future challenges of seismic monitoring used in the International Monitoring System (IMS) under the CTBT. The research first provides a detailed review of the Treaty and seismic detection technologies. It explains the basic scientific principles behind various signals and outlines the detection capabilities. The process of data review and screening at the International Data Centre is also analysed. The study identifies several future challenges for seismic technology in IMS, particularly regarding evasion scenarios like decoupling (separating the test explosion from its surroundings) and mine-masking (hiding explosions in mines), which pose significant obstacles to seismic monitoring accuracy. These challenges highlight the ongoing difficulties in ensuring reliable and accurate verification of compliance with the CTBT.
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