Speaker
Description
The International Monitoring System (IMS) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) comprises 170 seismic, 60 infrasound, 11 hydroacoustic and 80 radionuclide stations, along with 16 radionuclide laboratories, distributed across 89 countries worldwide. Deployment of the network began in 1996, when the Treaty was opened for signature. The initial focus was on the installation and certification of the stations. Since then, daily operations have centered on their maintenance and functionality. After 25 years of continuous service, many IMS stations are approaching the end of their operational life and require recapitalization. This process is complex, spanning multiple years and involving numerous internal and external stakeholders. To address this, reduce the already built technical debt and safeguard the investment made by States in the network, a mid- and long-term sustainment strategy has been developed. The IMS sustainment strategy is primarily guided by the expected lifespan of system components and emphasizes a shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to maintain high data availability. This is crucial, as the IMS high-quality data not only fulfills its purpose of strengthening the Treaty’s verification regime but also provides valuable information for scientific research and a wide range of civil applications; such as tsunami early warning systems, earthquake hazard assessment, volcanic eruption monitoring and atmospheric studies.
