Conveners
T2.1 - Characterization of Treaty-Relevant Events: Oral session
- Mario Zampolli (CTBTO Preparatory Commission, Vienna, Austria)
Isotopic ratios of radioxenon captured in the atmosphere can be indicators of the occurrence of an underground nuclear explosion. However, atmospheric background from civilian sources of xenon isotopes can interfere with detection of nuclear testing signals according to a standard model of the evolution of radioxenon isotopic abundances in a nuclear explosion cavity. We find that this standard...
Detection and location of a cavity generated by an underground nuclear explosion is an important proof in case of suspicion of violating the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The resonance seismometry is one of the CTBT’s permitted techniques during an on-site inspection (OSI).
We present a new method for detecting and locating a horizontal position of cavity which uses the...
Measurements of electromagnetic (EM) fields have been proposed as a means of supporting and aiding infrasound signal analysis. As opposed to nuclear explosion, other natural and man-made infrasound sources don’t produce an EM signal. Thus, if an IS signal isn’t accompanied by an EM pulse, it’s known that it’s not originated from a nuclear explosion.
Lightning discharges are the main source of...
Primary seismic phases, P-phases, associated with the sixth announced DPRK underground nuclear test of 3 September 2017 (DPRK6) were identified at frequencies below 4 Hz at four of the six CTBT IMS hydroacoustic hydrophone stations, namely HA01, HA03, HA08 and HA11. The signals match P-phase arrival times for these stations except for HA03, where the arrival time matches a path through the...
On 4th august 2020, A very large explosion blew up the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, causing many casualties and high damage, leaving an estimated of 300000 people homeless. The explosion was caused by a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of Beirut. The CEA undertook study in order to estimate explosive source parameters – including the yield – based on the analysis...
This study uses seismic waveform and shockwave data from the Aug 4, 2020 Beirut explosion to investigate whether the yield estimated by the shockwave data can predict the spectral level observed in the seismic data. Many stations from the IRIS Data Management Center (DMC) recorded this explosion up to hundreds of kilometers with good signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Shockwaves were recorded by...
We report on a multi-technique analysis using publicly available data for investigating the huge, accidental explosion that struck the city of Beirut, Lebanon, on August 4, 2020. Its devastating shock wave led to thousands of injured with more than two hundred fatalities and caused immense damage to buildings and infrastructure. Our combined analysis of seismological, hydroacoustic, infrasonic...
A large amount of ammonium nitrate has exploded in Beirut port on 4 August 2020 leaving behind large destruction. The explosion has triggered seismic, acoustic, infrasound, and hydroacoustic signals that propagated through the lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. The signal was widely recorded in the neighboring countries and even in the case of infrasound, it has been reported regionally....
