CTBT verification related case studies of three recent seismic events, Novaya Zemlya, India and Pakistan

Technical Report · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:6393587

This report examines three recent seismic events which can be seen as case studies of the effectiveness of the verification system of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The events studied are an August 1997 seismic event near a Russian nuclear test site on Novaya Zemlya, and the Indian and Pakistani nuclear explosions of May 1998. The report first explains the CTBT, what it is and is not, the CTBT-related issues raised by the three events, and implementation of the CTBT verification system. Section 2 reviews technical aspects of verification and testing and section 3 reviews non-seismic methods of verification, including on-site inspections, atmospheric radionuclide detection, and use of satellite imagery. Section 4 details the three events, and their implications for CTBT verification are discussed in section 5. Appendices include information on the measurement of yield, the detection threshold, and the military significance of test explosions below the threshold; and a review of three non-seismic technologies in the CTBT monitoring system (radionuclide, infrasound, and hydroacoustic detection).

• Research Organization: Dept. of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 6393587
• Report Number(s): MIC-99-03262/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

350300* -- Arms Control-- Verification-- (1987-)
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450300 -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosion Detection
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ARMS CONTROL
CTBT
DETECTION
NUCLEAR EXPLOSION DETECTION
ON-SITE INSPECTION
RADIATION DETECTION
REMOTE SENSING
SEISMIC DETECTION
SEISMIC EVENTS
TREATIES
VERIFICATION