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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Monitoring underground nuclear explosions

Book ·
OSTI ID:6720434

The achievement of a comprehensive ban on all nuclear-weapons testing is one of the key issues in today's arms control negotiations. A review of both the technical capabilities and the political requirements of monitoring a comprehensive test-ban treaty is presented. Starting with a survey of the background to the test-ban negotiations which includes a short historical review and presentation of the positions currently adopted by some of the parties to the negotiations, the book goes on to describe nuclear devices and explosions as seismic sources. The military, technical and political significance of conducting tests and the testing activity undertaken by different countries is considered. Comprehensive discussion is given of various seismological methods and the capabilities of detecting, locating and identifying underground nuclear explosions. In addition, the estimated yields of explosions conducted during 1963 to 1976 are recorded.

OSTI ID:
6720434
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English