Research Required to Support Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Monitoring

On September 24, 1996, President Clinton signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty at the United Nations Headquarters. Over the next five months, 141 nations, including the four other nuclear weapon states—Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom—added their signatures to this total ban on nuclear explosions. To help achieve verification of compliance with its provisions, the treaty specifies an extensive International Monitoring System of seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasonic, and radionuclide sensors. This volume identifies specific research activities that will be needed if the United States is to effectively monitor compliance with the treaty provisions.

• Front Matter
• Executive Summary
• 1 Introduction: The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
• 2 CTBT Monitoring Technical Challenges That Drive Research
• 3 Monitoring Technologies: Research Priorities
• 4 U.S. Research Infrastructure
• 5 Conclusions and Recommendations
• References
• Appendix A: Statement of Task
• Appendix B: Research Support History
• Appendix C: Seismic Event Location
• Appendix D: Seismic Magnitudes and Source Strengths
• Appendix E: Hydroacoustics
• Appendix F: Infrasonics
• Appendix G: Radionuclide Source Term Ranges for Different Test Scenarios
• Appendix H: Acronyms