Podcasts about ctbto

Nuclear weapons still loom large on the world stage. So why has the number of nuclear tests dropped so dramatically?Today's guest is Megan Slinkard, Chief of the Software Applications Section in the International Data Centre at the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). Based in Vienna, Megan has worked in nuclear explosion monitoring for more than 10 years and is really at the coal face of the monitoring work that the organisation does.We discuss Megan's path to nuclear testing, how the CBTO has helped to create a culture where nuclear testing is rare, and how monitoring nuclear tests has helped bolster the CTBT (Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty).00:00 - Intro02:41 - Megan's origin story13:05 - What does CTBTO do when they detect an unusual event?23:00 - How monitoring and testing can add robustness to a treaty30:01 - Dan's final thoughtsLINKS:Megan Slinkard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-slinkard-4905b2167/CTBTO: https://www.ctbto.org/Dan Klein: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dplkleinZühlke: https://www.zuehlke.com/enWelcome to Data Today, a podcast from Zühlke.We're living in a world of opportunities. But to fully realize them, we have to reshape the way we innovate.We need to stop siloing data, ring-fencing knowledge and looking at traditional value chains. And that's what this podcast is about. Every two weeks, we're taking a look at data outside the box to see how amazing individuals from disparate fields and industries are transforming the way they work with data, the challenges they are overcoming, and what we can all learn from them.Zühlke is a global innovation service provider. We envisage ideas and create new business models for our clients by developing services and products based on new technologies – from the initial vision through development to deployment, production and operation.

Hast du jemals davon geträumt, für die UNO, OSCE, CTBTO zu arbeiten? Dich international zu vernetzen und bei den großen Entscheidungen mitzuwirken?Sabine Bauer hat genau das getan und gibt dir heute offene Einblicke in ihre Karriere. Sie führt uns über Stationen in Den Haag und New York zurück nach Wien.Heute hörst du:welcher Arbeitsalltag dich in internationalen Organisationen erwartetwarum die Herausforderungen deiner 20er so prägend für deine Karriere sindwie du deine Karriere in einer internationalen Organisation startest - als Frühentschlossene oder Quereinsteigerinwelche Opfer du eventuell bringst, wenn du international Karriere machstHör rein und mach dich mit uns auf die Reise durch Sabines internationaler Karriere - und starte vielleicht sogar deine eigene!Deine Katja#koachkatjaP.S. Hier geht's zum Kick-Start für deine Karriere - dein privates 30 Minuten Karrieregespräch mit Team #koachkatja.

Dr. Robert Floyd, Ph.D. is Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization ( CTBTO - https://www.ctbto.org/ ), the organization tasked with building up the verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, a multilateral treaty opened for signature in 1996 by which states agree to ban all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. Prior to joining CTBTO, Dr. Floyd was the Director General of the Australian Safeguards and Non-proliferation Office (ASNO), where he was responsible for Australia's implementation of and compliance with various international treaties and conventions including the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and the Chemical Weapons Convention. During his time as Director General of ASNO, Dr. Floyd also chaired the advisory group to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency on safeguards implementation (SAGSI), co-chaired the Preparatory Committee for the review of the amended CPPNM, co-chaired one of the working groups of the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification, was the lead official for Australia in the Nuclear Security Summit process, and chaired the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network. Prior to his appointment with ASNO, Dr. Floyd served for more than seven years in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet where he held a number of senior executive positions providing advice to the Prime Minister on policy issues covering counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, emergency management, and homeland and border security. Dr. Floyd was awarded a commemorative medal on the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence in recognition of the strong and enduring partnership between the CTBTO and Kazakhstan on nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament, peace, and security. Dr. Floyd also received the Australian Nuclear Association (ANA) award for 2021 in recognition of his outstanding leadership role as Director General of the ASNO. With a Ph.D. in population ecology, Dr. Floyd spent the first 20 years of his career as a research scientist with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). As a long-time believer in the cause of gender equality and the empowerment of women, Dr. Floyd is an International Gender Champion (IGC) and joined the IGC network in 2021. Support the show

VOA 한국어 아침 뉴스 프로그램 '워싱턴 뉴스 광장' 2022년 6월 29일 방송입니다. 존 아퀼리노 미 인도태평양사령관이 미한 동맹을 역내 자유 수호의 핵심축이라고 말했습니다. 미 태평양함대사령관이 한일 국방장관 등을 만나 북한의 도발과 한반도 안보 상황을 논의했습니다. 유엔 산하 포괄적 핵실험금지 조약기구(CTBTO)가 북한에 핵실험 유예 약속 연장을 촉구했습니다. 방송 시간: 한반도 오전 5:00~6:00 (UTC 20:00~21:00).

VOA 한국어 간판 뉴스 프로그램 '뉴스 투데이', 2022년 6월 28일 1부 방송입니다. 존 아퀼리노 미 인도태평양사령관이 미한 동맹을 역내 자유 수호의 핵심축이라고 말했습니다. 미 태평양함대사령관이 한일 국방장관 등을 만나 북한의 도발과 한반도 안보 상황을 논의했습니다. 유엔 산하 포괄적 핵실험금지 조약기구(CTBTO)가 북한에 핵실험 유예 약속 연장을 촉구했습니다. 방송 시간: 한반도 오후 8:00~9:00 (UTC 11:00~12:00)

VOA 한국어 간판 뉴스 프로그램 '뉴스 투데이', 2022년 6월 28일 2부 방송입니다. 존 아퀼리노 미 인도태평양사령관이 미한 동맹을 역내 자유 수호의 핵심축이라고 말했습니다. 미 태평양함대사령관이 한일 국방장관 등을 만나 북한의 도발과 한반도 안보 상황을 논의했습니다. 유엔 산하 포괄적 핵실험금지 조약기구(CTBTO)가 북한에 핵실험 유예 약속 연장을 촉구했습니다. 방송 시간: 한반도 오후 9:00~10:00 (UTC 12:00~13:00)

VOA 한국어 간판 뉴스 프로그램 '뉴스 투데이', 2022년 6월 28일 3부 방송입니다. 존 아퀼리노 미 인도태평양사령관이 미한 동맹을 역내 자유 수호의 핵심축이라고 말했습니다. 미 태평양함대사령관이 한일 국방장관 등을 만나 북한의 도발과 한반도 안보 상황을 논의했습니다. 유엔 산하 포괄적 핵실험금지 조약기구(CTBTO)가 북한에 핵실험 유예 약속 연장을 촉구했습니다. 방송 시간: 한반도 오후 11:00~자정 (UTC 14:00~15:00)

Di episode ini, aku ngobrol bersama Dr. Yudiutomo Imardjoko, dosen di Departemen Teknik Nuklir dan Teknik Fisika UGM yang saat ini juga membangun PT. Ensterna, sebuah perusahaan di bidang sterilisasi menggunakan mesin electron beam. Pak Yudi sudah mengalami semuanya, mulai dari menjadi dosen, perwakilan Indonesia di CTBTO, direktur utama PT. INUKI, dan membangun perusahaan swastanya sendiri. Kali ini kami ngobrol tentang semangat “Trailblazing” dari Pak Yudi ketika menjalani karirnya hingga saat ini. So, let's check it out! —————————————————————————————————————————— Podcast Bicara Nuklir adalah podcast pertama di Indonesia yang membahas tentang Sains dan Teknologi Nuklir. Podcast ini diinisiasi oleh Harun Ardiansyah, Mahasiswa S3 Teknik Nuklir di University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Amerika Serikat. Podcast ini membahas tentang dasar - dasar mengenai ketenaganukliran dan juga wawancara dengan tokoh-tokoh yang bersinggungan dengan dunia nuklir di Indonesia. Podcast ini terinspirasi dari kurang populernya topik nuklir dibandingkan dengan topik keilmuan yang lain. Di sisi lain, perlu ada kampanye yang lebih masif tentang manfaat nuklir untuk menutupi pandangan-pandangan buruk tentang nuklir yang ada di masyarakat Indonesia. Podcast ini bertujuan untuk menjadi sarana komunikasi nuklir dengan format baru. Saat ini, Podcast Bicara Nuklir tersedia dalam tiga platform yaitu Spotify, Apple Podcast, dan Anchor. Podcast Bicara Nuklir telah bergulir sejak bulan Maret 2020, dan akan memulai season ketiganya di bulan September 2021.

Wenbo Wu, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution As the major buffer of Earth’s energy imbalance, the ocean plays a key role in regulating global climate and temperature changes. However, accurate estimation of global ocean temperature change remains a challenging sampling problem. To complement existing point measurements, we have developed a novel and low-cost method of using travel time changes of acoustic waves from repeating natural earthquakes to infer basin-scale average ocean temperature changes. Using the land-based seismometers and CTBTO hydrophones, we have detected not only seasonal signals, which are generally consistent with that in previous oceanographic datasets of ECCO and Argo, but also interesting signals missing in ECCO and Argo. Recently, we are working on the frequency and mode dependent travel time changes of these acoustic signals, which could reveal depth information of ocean property changes. I will also talk about the challenges of the multiple frequency measuring and mode tomography and the opportunities of Distributed Acoustic Sensing in T-wave study.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty opened for signature 25 years ago this month but hasn't yet entered into force.   In his first UN News interview, the new head of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) notes that prior to 1996, when the Treaty opened for signature, around 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted, but since then, only three countries have crossed the line - only one of those, this century.   For Robert Floyd, nuclear testing remains an existential threat for humanity, with some 13,400 nuclear weapons still primed for use.   He spoke in New York to UN News's Alexandre Soares, who started by asking him how CTBTO helps make the world a safer place.  

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty opened for signature 25 years ago this month but hasn't yet entered into force.   In his first UN News interview, the new head of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) notes that prior to 1996, when the Treaty opened for signature, around 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted, but since then, only three countries have crossed the line - only one of those, this century.   For Robert Floyd, nuclear testing remains an existential threat for humanity, with some 13,400 nuclear weapons still primed for use.   He spoke in New York to UN News's Alexandre Soares, who started by asking him how CTBTO helps make the world a safer place.  

Thanks to CTBTO for sponsoring this video: https://www.ctbto.org Sounds in the ocean can travel more than 10,000 miles - that's halfway around the world! Here's how. LEARN MORE ************** To learn more about this topic, start your googling with these keywords: Refraction: the bending of a sound wave based on changes in the wave's speed SUPPORT MINUTEEARTH ************************** If you like what we do, you can help us!: - Become our patron: https://patreon.com/MinuteEarth - Share this video with your friends and family - Leave us a comment (we read them!) CREDITS ********* This video was produced by: Kate Yoshida | Script Writer, Narrator and Director Arcadi Garcia Rius | Illustration, Video Editing and Animation Nathaniel Schroeder | Music MinuteEarth is produced by Neptune Studios LLC https://neptunestudios.info OUR STAFF ************ Sarah Berman • Arcadi Garcia Rius David Goldenberg • Julián Gustavo Gómez Melissa Hayes • Alex Reich • Henry Reich Peter Reich • Ever Salazar • Kate Yoshida OUR LINKS ************ Youtube | https://youtube.com/MinuteEarth TikTok | https://tiktok.com/@minuteearth Twitter | https://twitter.com/MinuteEarth Instagram | https://instagram.com/minute_earth Facebook | https://facebook.com/Minuteearth Website | https://minuteearth.com Apple Podcasts| https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/minuteearth/id649211176 REFERENCES ************** Heaney, K.D., Kuperman, W.A., and McDonald, B. E. (1960). Perth-Bermuda sound propagation: Adiabatic mode interpretation. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 90, 2586–2594, 1991. https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.402062 Munk, W.H, Spindel, R.C., Baggeroer, A., Birdsall, T. G. (1994). The Heard Island Feasibility Test, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 96, 2330–2342. https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.410105 Payne, R. S., and Webb, D. (1971). Orientation by means of long range acoustic signaling in baleen whales. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 188:110–141. https://www.thecre.com/sefReports/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Payne-R.-Webb-D.-1971.-Orientation.pdf Shockley, R. C., Northrop, J., Hansen, P. G. Hartdegen, C. (1982) SOFAR propagation paths from Australia to Bermuda: Comparision of signal speed algorithms and experiments, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 71, 51–60. https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.387250

Thanks to CTBTO for sponsoring this video: https://www.ctbto.org Many of the bewildering correlations in our world - like that between Beryllium-7 and the Asian monsoon - are a result of huge and unseen forces that tie them together. Thanks also to our Patreon patrons https://www.patreon.com/MinuteEarth and our YouTube members. ___________________________________________ To learn more, start your googling with these keywords: Monsoon: A seasonal increase in precipitation driven by atmospheric conditions. Hadley Cell: A global scale atmospheric cell driven by air rising near the equator and falling as it flows towards the polls. Ferrel Cell: A secondary atmospheric circulation that collides with the Hadley cell and pushes air back down towards the Earth’s surface. Intertropical Convergence Zone: The narrow zone between the northern and southern Hadley cells where warm air comes together and rises. Tropopause: The boundary area roughly 15 kilometers above the Earth’s surface between the troposphere and the stratosphere. Radionuclide: Isotopes of atoms that release radiation as they break down. Beryllium-7: A relatively stable radionuclide of the element Beryllium that naturally forms in the tropopause during spallation. Spallation: The process in which a heavier atom loses nuclear particles after being bombarded by cosmic rays. Cosmic Rays: High energy atomic particles that move at near light speed through space. ___________________________________________ Subscribe to MinuteEarth on YouTube: http://goo.gl/EpIDGd Support us on Patreon: https://goo.gl/ZVgLQZ And visit our website: https://www.minuteearth.com/ Say hello on Facebook: http://goo.gl/FpAvo6 And Twitter: http://goo.gl/Y1aWVC And download our videos on itunes: https://goo.gl/sfwS6n ___________________________________________ Credits (and Twitter handles): Video Writer, Director, and Narrator: David Goldenberg (@dgoldenberg) Video Illustrator: Sarah Berman (@sarahjberman) With Contributions From: Henry Reich, Alex Reich, Kate Yoshida, Ever Salazar, Peter Reich, Julián Gómez, Arcadi Garcia Rius Music by: Nathaniel Schroeder: http://www.soundcloud.com/drschroeder ___________________________________________ References: Terzi, L., Kalinowski, M., Schoeppner, M., and Wotawa, G. (2019). How to predict seasonal weather and monsoons with radionuclide monitoring. Nature. 9: 2729. Retrieved from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-39664-7. Köhn‐Reich, L., Bürger, G. (2019). Dynamical prediction of Indian monsoon: Past and present skill. International Journal of Climatology. 38:3574-3581. Retrieved from: https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/joc.6039. Delaygue, G., Bekki, S., and Bard, E. (2015) Modelling the stratospheric budget of beryllium isotopes. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 67:1 Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3402/tellusb.v67.28582. Palukkat, H. (2016) The odds of foretelling rains: Why monsoon prediction is hard, and why it could soon improve. Economic Times. Retrieved from: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/the-odds-of-foretelling-rains-why-monsoon-prediction-is-hard-and-why-it-could-soon-improve/articleshow/52876823.cms. Kalinowski, M. (2020). Personal Communication. Provisional Technical Secretariat, Preparatory Commission for the Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.

Jeffrey and Anne attended the CTBTO's 2019 Science and Technology Conference in Vienna, which means this is another Wienerpod! Aaron calls in to get the lowdown on the state of the CTBT and the evolving technological environment for nuclear test detection.  Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!

Solving the North Korean nuclear issue is not a South Korean problem or an American one, but rather a global conundrum that will require the weight of the world's international institutions to resolve. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is one such institution. NK News managing editor Oliver Hotham was fortunate enough to recently sit down with CTBTO head Dr. Lassina Zerbo to discuss the CTBTO's role on the Korean peninsula, the "definition" of denuclearization, and how the treaty can help narrow the chasm between Washington and Pyongyang. Dr. Lassina Zerbo is the Executive Secretary of the CTBT Organization. During a professional career spanning nearly 25 years, Dr. Zerbo has developed expertise ranging from scientific and technical competencies to results-based management and multilateral diplomacy. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Featured image: KCNA

평양정상회담 후 북미관계 전망 1. 평양 정상회담에서 비핵화 관련 합의 핵심 2. 국제원자력기구(IAEA)의 관여와 관련 협상 전망 -포괄적핵실험금지조약기구(CTBTO)도 관여할 듯 3. 미국의 선비핵화 요구 및 북한의 동시조치 요구 간극 좁혀질까 4. 유럽 언론의 반응 5. 북미 관계 전망 주제어: 남북 평양정상회담, 북미관계, 북 비핵화, 국제원자력기구IAEA, 포괄적핵실험금지조약기구CTBTO

  A monitoring system developed to listen for secret nuclear tests mostly hears other events happening all around Earth.   Thanks to CTBTO for sponsoring this video: www.ctbto.org   Thanks also to our supporters on ___________________________________________   FYI: We try to leave jargon out of our videos, but if you want to learn more about this topic, here are some keywords to get your googling started: Infrasound: sound waves too low in frequency for humans to hear. The CTBTO stations detect frequencies of 0.02 to 4Hz Hydroacoustic: having to do with underwater sounds. The CTBTO stations detect frequencies of 1-100 Hz Seismic: oscillation waves in the earth, often caused by earthquakes or other tectonic activity. The CTBTO stations detect frequencies of 0.02-16 Hz ___________________________________________   Credits (and Twitter handles): Script Writer: Alex Reich Script Editor: Kate Yoshida (@KateYoshida) Video Illustrator: Jesse Agar Video Director: Kate Yoshida (@KateYoshida) Video Narrator: Kate Yoshida (@KateYoshida) With Contributions From: Henry Reich, Ever Salazar, Emily Elert, Peter Reich, David Goldenberg Music by: Nathaniel Schroeder:   _________________________________________   Like our videos? Subscribe to MinuteEarth on YouTube: Support us on Patreon:   Also, say hello on: Facebook: http://goo.gl/FpAvo6 Twitter: http://goo.gl/Y1aWVC   And find us on itunes:  https://goo.gl/sfwS6n ___________________________________________   If you liked this week’s video, we think you might also like: Animals can detect infrasound: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2004/12/surviving_the_tsunami.html A Time-Lapse Map of Every Nuclear Explosion Since 1945: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrYSound travels 1000s of miles in the ocean’s SOFAR channel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOFAR_channel   ___________________________________________   References:   Sounds in the video that were recorded by CTBTO stations:0:32    Kasatoshi volcano eruption in August 2008, detected 2100km away at infrasound station on mainland Alaska. Sped up 500x https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasatochi_Island0:35    Explosion of Antares rocket in October 2014, detected 1100km away at Bermuda infrasound station. Sped up 150x https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_CRS_Orb-3 and video: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Antares_Fails_to_Reach_Orbit_with_Cygnus_CRS-3_after_Rocket_Explodes.webm 0:37    Ship engine detected June 1 2017 by hydroacoustic station. Sped up 16x0:40    Waves hitting an iceberg and causing it to vibrate like a cymbal in July 2010. Detected by hydroacoustic station off of Western Australia. Sped up 16x1:01    Whale call Feb 18 2017, detected by hydroacoustic station. Sped up 16x1:08    Chelyabinsk meteor airburst February 15 2013, detected by infrasound station 650km away in Kazakhstan. Sped up 135x1:39    Earthquake Jan 2 2017, detected by infrasound station. Sped up 16x2:00    Sound with unknown cause, detected by hydroacoustic station. March 25 2017. Sped up 16xReferencesBrown, P. G., et al. 2013. A 500-kiloton airburst over Chelyabinsk and an enhanced hazard from small impactors. Nature, 503(7475), 238-241. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12741Graham, G. May 2017, Personal communicationHarabalus, G. May 2017, personal communicationLeBras, R. May 2017, personal communicationMialle P., May 2017, personal communicationMiksis-Old, J. May 2017, personal communicationNielsen, P., May 2017, personal communicationLe Pichon, A., et al. 2013. The 2013 Russian fireball largest ever detected by CTBTO infrasound sensors. Geophysical Research Letters, 40(14), 3732-3737. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/grl.50619/full

This 21st issue of Spectrum features an address by the President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, who became the first head of state to address the CTBTO Preparatory Commission at its 40th Session on 13 June 2013. Compaoré shares his vision for peace and international security in a world without nuclear weapons, calling on those remaining States that have not yet signed or ratified the CTBT to do so in order that the Treaty can become legally binding. He also describes the usefulness of CTBTO monitoring data which “are of great importance in defining effective responses to natural risks and disasters.” As Co-Presidents of the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT at the UN Headquarters in New York on 27 September, Hungary’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, János Martonyi, and Indonesia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marty M. Natalegawa, explain why the CTBT’s entry into force is of paramount importance. Outlining their priorities in promoting this objective, Martonyi calls on the remaining Annex 2 States, especially the United States, to ratify. Appealing to the United States as a NATO partner, he states that “ratification by the United States is in no way detrimental to NATO’s nuclear deterrent, but that it would, on the contrary, enhance global security.” Expressing his concern over the nuclear tests announced by North Korea in 2006, 2009 and 2013 which have exacerbated tensions in the region, Natalegawa says: “Such nuclear tests highlight the urgent need for the CTBT’s entry into force “ Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, maintains: ‘It is abundantly clear that all non-proliferation efforts are critical in tackling the threat of terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons. A fully ratified and implemented CTBT is an indispensable building block for these efforts.” He also highlights the potential use of CTBT monitoring data in helping to mitigate the effects of natural or man-made disasters, particularly in terms of monitoring volcanic eruptions, which he explains is of great interest to Iceland. This issue also features excerpts of keynote addresses made at the CTBT: Science and Technology 2013 Conference in Vienna, Austria, in June 2013. These include: former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Hans Blix; former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, Ellen Tauscher; former Director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Siegfried Hecker; and Director for Strategic Affairs in the French Ministry of Defence, Michel Miraillet. The keynote speakers present a range of arguments as to why countries that have not yet ratified the CTBT should delay no longer. Miaki Ishii from Harvard University describes how the CTBTO’s seismic stations “serve unexpectedly well as powerful telescopes to view inside the Earth.” Detailed knowledge of the internal structure of the Earth is essential, she explains, for unravelling its dynamics and history. An article on ‘Joining forces to reduce radioxenon emissions’ highlights some of the recent collaboration between the CTBTO and radioisotope producers such as the Belgian-based Institute for Radioelements to achieve this goal. With preparations for the next Integrated Field Exercise in Jordan in 2014 well underway, Spectrum 21 features a photo story depicting ‘Build-Up Exercise III’ which took place in Hungary from 26 May to 7 June 2013. This exercise will simulate an on-site inspection almost in its entirety. Also on this theme, an article by the CTBTO’s Aled Rowlands describes the role of airborne imagery in an on-site inspection.

The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), and the Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) which forms part of the Commission, occupies a special place in the history of disarmament and non-proliferation as well as in the history of international organizations. It has a number of features that distinguish it from other organizations and that have influenced the course of its history over the last 15 years.

In this 20th issue, the Foreign Minister of Iraq, Hoshyar Zebari, reports on the steps taken by the Iraqi parliament towards ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the importance Iraq attaches to promoting the Treaty’s entry into force. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who helped the Kennedy administration draft the Partial Test Ban Treaty, describes why the case for ratification of the CTBT by the United States is stronger than ever. Zia Mian from Princeton University focuses on the role of civil society in South Asia in advocating nuclear disarmament. Columbia University’s Paul Richards explains the seismic findings of the nuclear test announced by North Korea on 12 February; we also elaborate on the radionuclide findings almost two months later. Astronomer Margaret Campbell-Brown from the University of Western Ontario explains how CTBTO data have helped us understand the characteristics of the meteor over the Ural mountains on 15 February. Anders Ringbom and Anders Axelsson of the Swedish Defense Research Agency describe the key role played by noble gas detection systems in responding to the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 and some of the lessons learned. This issue also features an interview with CTBTO Executive Secretary Tibor Tóth in which he discusses a range of issues related to nuclear non-proliferation, including the main challenges and achievements during his eight years as head of the organization. Finally, the paintings by Elin O’Hara Slavick from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the cover and inside Spectrum 20 illustrate the power of art in educating and communicating political messages.

In 2011, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) took further important steps towards fulfilling its mandate to promote the Treaty’s entry into force and establish the verification regime. International support for the Treaty continued to increase with Ghana and Guinea ratifying the Treaty, bringing the number of ratifications up to 155. As an Annex 2 State which must ratify the Treaty before it can enter into force, the decision by the Parliament of Indonesia on 6 December to ratify the Treaty was especially significant. Of the 44 States listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty, 35 had ratified as of 31 December 2011. Once Indonesia has completed its ratification process, only eight Annex 2 States will still need to ratify. A total of 182 States had signed the CTBT by the end of 2011.

In this 19th issue, the Foreign Ministers of Chile and Finland, Alfredo Moreno and Erkki Toumioja, make a strong political pitch for the Treaty and also highlight the contribution of CTBT verification data for disaster mitigation. They are joined by two prominent South Asian thinkers: former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala, and Hindustan Times Foreign Editor Pramit Pal Chaudhuri. Nuclear physicist Siegfried Hecker explains why nuclear armed States stand to gain more than they lose from CTBT ratification and Tatsujiro Suzuki, Vice Chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, provides an invaluable insight into the Fukushima accident. Elena Sokova from the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation explains why nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation education should be sustainable and global, with the CTBTO’s Capacity Development Initiative a welcome development in this field. Ik Bum Kang from the Korea Institute of GeoScience and Mineral Resources outlines some of the challenges of operating and maintaining primary seismic station PS31, one of the CTBTO’s closest station to the North Korean nuclear test site. Former CTBTO staff member Kirsten Haupt describes how practice makes future on-site inspection inspectors perfect, and guest writer Angela Leuker how the perception of nuclear war has changed over recent decades.

This first issue gives an overview of the status of the verification regime build-up and, as an overarching theme, it highlights the significant role of the Treaty in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. An interview with Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze, Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament, and a special feature article by Peter Marshall, an expert on seismology, focus on this theme. This issue also provides an update on the latest session of the Preparatory Commission, in addition to regular columns on verification science, the potential civil and scientific applications of the CTBT verification technologies and a column on the PTS staff, which introduces the PTS mission statement.

This issue of CTBTO Spectrum focuses on the legal aspects of building the verification regime. It sets out to examine the essential role played by facility agreements and other legal arrangements in placing the provisional operation and maintenance of the IMS on a secure legal foundation. An interview with Palitha Kohona, Chief of the Treaty Section of the Office of Legal Affairs at the United Nations in New York, a special feature article by Anthony Aust, former Legal Counsellor of the United Kingdom Foreign Office, and the cover story by Peter Hulsroj, PTS Legal Advisor, give further insights into the unique legal status of the Preparatory Commission and its verification regime.

This issue of CTBTO Spectrum looks at the ‘mechanisms’ of Conferences on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT, focusing in particular on the upcoming Conference, which will take place in Vienna from 3 to 5 September this year. An interview with Ambassador Tom Grönberg, who is chairing the preparatory process of the 2003 Conference, and a special feature article by the former United Nations Under-Secretary General Jayantha Dhanapala, concentrate on this theme. This issue also provides an overview of the Commission's work over the past six months, including an update on the latest session of the Preparatory Commission. In addition, the cover story by David McCormack, a Canadian seismologist, gives an example of the potential benefits of civil and scientific applications of the CTBT verification technologies.

This roundtable conference was organized by the Mission of Mexico in Vienna as Co-Chair of the Article XIV Conference and Member of the Non Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) with the support of the Arms Control Association (ACA). This conference seeks to present the latest technical and political arguments that could help Member States in their internal efforts to achieve signing/ratification, as well as to reiterate the broad support by the international community to achieve early entry into force of the CTBT. Welcome by Amb. Alejandro Díaz, Permanent Representative to the International Organizations of Mexico in Vienna (Member of the NPDI); Key findings of the 2012 US National Academy of Sciences Report on the CTBT, Dr. Ellen D. Williams, Chair, 2012 National Academy of Sciences Report on CTBT; Benefits and progress of the CTBT International Monitoring System, Dr. Lassina Zerbo, Director of the International Data Centre Division, CTBTO; Pathways towards entry into force: Indonesia’s process of ratification. Amb. I Gusti Puja, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the International Organizations in Vienna; International support for the CTBT, Amb. Nils Daag, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the International Organizations in Vienna, Co-Chair of Article XIV Conference; Moderator: Tom Collina, Research Director, Arms Control Association

In 2010, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) took further important steps in the fulfillment of its mandate to promote the Treaty’s entry into force and establish the verification regime. International support for the Treaty continued to increase with Trinidad and Tobago and the Central African Republic ratifying the CTBT, bringing the number of ratifications to 153. Among the States that have ratified are 35 of the 44 States listed in Annex 2 to the Treaty, whose ratification is required for its entry into force. Indonesia, Iraq, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea and Thailand also expressed their intention to initiate the ratification procedure. As of 31 December 2010, the CTBT had been signed by 182 States.

CTBTO and IOC-UNESCO have enjoyed fruitful collaboration since 2005, which was formalized through an agreement in 2010. The seismic data from the CTBTO’s International Monitoring System is provided with very high reliability and quality, both of which are essential for accurate tsunami warnings, including for avoiding unnecessary evacuations.

Fukushima had “collateral benefits” for the scientific community and for all of us, because it brought us much closer together and gave us the opportunity to work closer with the CTBTO and other organizations. The CTBTO data was made available to the IAEA within the first hour of the accident, and it is now available on a permanent basis to the agency. The IAEA’s Fukushima Monitoring database contains more than 1 million data measurements from different sources.

CTBTO data were very important for the WMO to provide timely and accurate estimates of radioactive releases. The fact that the CTBTO monitoring network is technically completely independent is a crucial advantage in emergency situations: “During the Fukushima crisis, the system was very reliable and stable and able to monitor the dispersion of radionuclides all over the globe.”

The Fukushima crisis was an unprecedented “stress test” for the CTBTO monitoring system. We need to be ready for similar complex disasters in the future. The CTBTO was able to provide data on radioactive dispersion in a timely manner only because of the investments undertaken by the international community. “But all of us can make a better return on this investment if we learn the lessons from the past and if we get better prepared for the future.”

The importance of inter-organizational and inter-sectorial collaboration is one of the most critical lessons learned from the Fukushima disaster. CTBTO data proved crucial in enabling the WHO to provide accurate information to the public on health issues after the nuclear accident: “We would like to thank CTBTO for the collaboration, openness and providing data.”

All four verification technologies of the International Monitoring System (IMS) contributed during the 11 March 2011 event: seismic sensors detected the Tohoku earthquake and its aftershocks; hydroacoustic stations recorded the rupture of the Earth’s crust and the tsunami wave; the explosions at the Fukushima power plant were picked up by infrasound stations; and radionuclide stations detected the subsequent radioactive emissions. ATM was used to predict the dispersion of the radioactive particles.

“Through the timely provision of concrete data on the concentration levels of radioactive materials and through its science-based predictions of the dispersion of the radiation plume, the CTBTO showed to the Member States that the concentration levels of the radioactive materials were far below levels that could cause harm to human health.” Japan has provided a voluntary contribution of over US$ 730,000 to further enhance the CTBTO’s capabilities to track airborne radioactivity through Atmospheric Transport Modelling (ATM).

Annika Thunborg, Spokesperson and Chief of Public Information, CTBTO and Lassina Zerbo, Director CTBTO International Data Centre The CTBTO’s International Monitoring System (IMS) can contribute to the mitigation of disasters in several ways: it can provide time-critical data for disaster early warning, for measuring radioactivity in the atmosphere after nuclear accidents, and for broadening the scientific knowledge basis about such disasters. Besides providing such data, it is equally important to assure its best use through a coordinated and coherent UN response.

All UN organizations have to work closely together in order to provide timely and precise information when responding to disasters such as the Fukushima accident. The CTBTO network, which proved invaluable in the first two weeks after the accident, is a unique source of data not only in crisis situations but is also of great long-term importance for scientific research: “Science can profit from your data and you can profit from science.”

The travel time of a seismic wave can differ significantly depending on regional characteristics of the Earth’s crust. In close cooperation with some of its scientifically more advanced Member States, the CTBTO has undertaken an initiative to re-calibrate its seismic network by taking such regional particularities into account. This will considerably enhance the CTBTO’s ability to locate nuclear explosions and benefit seismic hazard studies.

The 11 March Tohoku earthquake was the fourth-largest since 1900, the area of rupture extending over 100 kilometres. It was recorded by each of the CTBTO’s 140 seismic stations operative at the time. In the following months, approximately 10,000 aftershocks were detected, 800 on 11 March alone. CTBTO seismic data, provided in real time to authorities in Japan and other countries bordering the Pacific, contributed to tsunami warnings after the Tohoku earthquake.

The Tohoku earthquake was recorded by the CTBTO hydroacoustic station on Wake Island (USA) and forwarded to tsunami warning centres. The station, which was left intact, recorded both the rupture of the Earth’s crust and the tsunami wave as it passed over the station. The CTBTO’s high-precision hydroacoustic data have more untapped potential uses for disaster warning.

Monika Krysta, Atmospheric Sciences Officer, Office of the Director, IDC Division and Mika Nikkinen, Head, Scientific Methods Unit, Software Applications Section, IDC Division By the end of May 2011, more than 40 radionuclide stations had detected radioactivity from the power plant and all but the closest at Takasaki had returned to normal background radiation. More than 1,600 samples containing radiation – both radioactive noble gases and particles - originating from the Fukushima power plant were analyzed. The analysis results allowed Member States’ radiation protection agencies to make informed recommendations to concerned populations. Additionally, the composition of the emissions allowed for conclusions about the extent of the damage to the reactors.

The CTBTO’s radionuclide stations are equipped with state-of-the-art sensors to detect even minute amounts of airborne radioactivity from a nuclear explosion, which is similar to that of a nuclear accident. One of the first stations to detect radioactive emissions from the Fukushima power plant was the radionuclide station at Takasaki, some 200 kilometres from the plant. Following the Fukushima event, the CTBTO made a number of improvements in terms of hardware, software and procedures that will allow faster and more reliable measurements.

Seven CTBTO infrasound stations detected sound waves generated by the ground vibrating during the Tohoku earthquake. The subsequent explosions of the reactor building at the Fukushima power plant were also recorded. Other potential applications of infrasound data include the monitoring of volcanic eruptions to warn civil aviation, and studies of storm systems and the atmosphere.

In this special 15th anniversary issue of Spectrum and video, a number of former and current staff share some of their personal memories of the journey since March 1997 when the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) began its operations in Vienna. In the words of the first Executive Secretary of the CTBTO, Wolfgang Hoffmann: ‘We were a very small group of people with a huge task. Although confronted with numerous challenges, many staff refer to the enthusiasm, optimism and team spirit which have made it all worthwhile and have enabled great progress to be made.’ Reflecting on the last 15 years, the CTBTO’s Executive Secretary Tibor Tóth concludes: ‘I think we can be proud that we have managed to deliver on things that were just dreams in March 1997 and to turn them into reality by spring 2012.

In the latest issue of Spectrum, the former leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, calls for a total ban on nuclear testing. In his article entitled The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT): Helping to create a truly global community, Gorbachev states that we should not be content with the current virtual moratorium on nuclear testing “because commitments that are not legally binding can easily be violated.” He urges the nine ‘rejectionist’ countries that must still ratify the CTBT to do so in order for the Treaty to enter into force. The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, states that “the CTBT stands as a beacon, lighting the path towards a peaceful world, free from nuclear explosions, whether for military or for peaceful purposes. The Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal mentions some of the reasons that make a ban on nuclear testing more necessary than ever, such as concerns about the North Korean nuclear programme and the lack of clarity about the full extent of the Iranian nuclear programme.

Reflecting the renewed political prominence of the CTBT, this issue of Spectrum has an abundance of political and scientific contributions from prominent authors. No less than four foreign ministers explain why the CTBT is important to their countries: French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and his Moroccan counterpart, Taieb Fassi Fihri, who will be jointly presiding over the Article XIV conference; Alberto Romulo, Foreign Minister of the Philippines and Carl Bildt, Foreign Minister of Sweden, the country currently holding the Presidency of the European Union. With regard to the articles by political analysts, Chinese academic and nuclear arms control expert, Shen Dingli, explains why the CTBT should be ratified by China. James Goodby, former U.S. diplomat and specialist on nuclear non-proliferation and security issues, places the CTBT into the wider context of nuclear non-proliferation.

While the current global financial crisis has been dominating headlines recently, it is important not to neglect another complex and insufficiently regulated system: the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime. CTBTO Spectrum 12 highlights the crucial role that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) plays in this regime and is honoured to have an interview with the Academy Award-winning actor and UN Messenger for Peace, Michael Douglas, as well as articles by the German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre. Their contributions are complemented by articles from Deepti Choubey of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Raymond Jeanloz of the University of California, Berkeley. Spectrum 12 also outlines the build-up of the International Monitoring System over the last decade, the Integrated Field Exercise 2008 for on-site inspections, the International Scientific Studies project to assess the readiness and capability of the CTBT to detect nuclear explosions worldwide, and Part 2 of the ongoing cooperation between the CTBTO and the World Meteorological Organization.

In view of the current political climate, this edition of CTBTO Spectrum focuses on the role of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in the wider non-proliferation and disarmament context. We are privileged to have received articles from several internationally acclaimed leaders and political figures including President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, former US Senator Sam Nunn, and US senior diplomats, Ambassadors Max Kampelman and Tom Graham. Their contributions are complemented by an article by Daryl Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association, and there are also feature articles on the Integrated Field Exercise 2008 for on-site inspections, the challenges of establishing monitoring stations in Antarctica, the ongoing International Scientific Studies project to assess the readiness and capability of the CTBT to detect nuclear explosions worldwide, and the cooperation between the CTBTO and the World Meteorological Organization.

Beginning with an editorial from Executive Secretary Tibor Toth, this issue features Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s views on the CTBT, a cover story by Dr. Hans Blix on “going the last mile to banish nuclear weapons testing,” a recap of the 2007 Article XIV Conference, an article by Dr. Rebecca Johnson in which she highlights the “renewed opportunities to bring the CTBT into force,” as well as the dangers presented by the ten countries who still had not ratified at the time. Additionally, there is an update on the Infrasound station IS11 in Cape Verde as well as a reminder of the importance of maintenance in terms of inspecting hydroacoustic station HA01 at Cape Leeuwin, Australia. Furthermore, “recent developments in infrasound monitoring technology” are discussed. Continuing with verification, Saey, Becker, and Wotawa discuss how data on the 2006 nuclear weapons test in North Korea was picked up by the IMS. Then Professor Kromp-Kolb speaks to the importance of IMS data for global climate change research.

The African region, which this issue of CTBTO Spectrum focuses on as an overarching theme, is a particularly good example for the ever increasing numbers of signatures and ratifications: Of those States, who signed and ratified the Treaty in 2004, 75 and 66 percent respectively, were from the African region. Besides looking at the relations between Africa and the CTBT, this issue of CTBTO Spectrum provides an overview of the Commission’s work over the past six months, including an update on the latest session of the Preparatory Commission.

This issue of CTBTO Spectrum focuses on the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) geographical region and the CTBT. It is the first issue in a series which will be covering all six Treaty-defined regions. The LAC region has always played an important role in contributing towards ensuring the entry into force and universality of the CTBT. When the Treaty opened for signature in 1996, 21 LAC States signed it. In the meantime, the number of signatures has increased to 27, with 20 LAC countries having also ratified the CTBT as of 6 December 2004.

This issue of CTBTO Spectrum looks at the results of the Article XIV Conference. The cover story by Ambassador Yukio Takasu provides a Member State’s view of the Conference. As an overarching theme, this issue focuses on the benefits of signing the Treaty, both political and those deriving from the potential civil and scientific applications of the verification technologies. An interview with Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and a special feature article by Hein Haak, a Dutch infrasound expert, concentrate on this theme. As usual, we include an overview of the Commission’s work over the past six months, including an update on the latest session of the Preparatory Commission.