Nuclear Test Ban Monitoring

In 1996, UN member states agreed a treaty banning all types of nuclear test explosions. The main aim of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is to prevent future nuclear weapons tests. A global verification regime was set up to monitor compliance with this treaty, including an International Monitoring System (IMS).

The IMS includes seismological, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide measuring stations and special radionuclide laboratories. It is operated by the Vienna-based Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). The Secretariat works closely with the countries on whose territory the measuring stations are located. Also part of the PTS is the International Data Centre (IDC), where the measurement data from all stations is continuously received and analysed. The data and analyses are available to all countries that have signed the CTBT.