North Korea: BfS supports Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

On 9 September 2016 at 2.30 a.m. Central European Summer Time, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty Organization (CTBTO) registered earth tremors that had probably been caused by another underground nuclear weapons test in North Korea.
As an international network, the CTBTO is aimed at tracing secret nuclear weapons tests world-wide. In the CTBTO, various international institutions have been networked that carry out seismic infrasound, underwater acoustics and radioactivity measurements.
In the scope of this Treaty, the BfS controls the radioactivity in the air for Germany and supports the Foreign Office in the professional evaluation of the data obtained.

World map with measuring stations The International IMS measuring network Source: CTBTO

On 9 September 2016 at 2.30 a.m. Central European Summer Time, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty Organization (CTBTO) registered earth tremors that had probably been caused by another underground nuclear weapons test in North Korea. This had happened last on 6 January 2016. It is probably the fifth test since 2006.

In the CTBTO, various international institutions have been networked that carry out seismic infrasound, underwater acoustics and radioactivity measurements. In the scope of this Treaty, the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) monitors for Germany the radioactivity in the air and supports the Foreign Office in the professional evaluation of the data obtained. The preliminary evaluation of seismic data of the event indicates a similar local origin as in January 2016.

Seismic measurements may give first indication of underground nuclear weapons test

As an international network, the CTBTO is aimed at tracing secret nuclear weapons tests world-wide. Several dozens of networked measuring stations world-wide are capable of detecting slightest traces of radioactivity in the air. Other stations measure seismic signals. On the Schauinsland mountain near Freiburg, the BfS operates the only highly sensitive measuring station in Central Europe. On a daily basis, air samples are taken there and analysed with highly sensitive measurement technology.

If radioactivity was released in the current nuclear weapons test, this could only be detected at one of the nearest CTBTO measuring stations in the Asian region. Due to the large distance, it is unlikely that the Schauinsland measuring station will register traces. Given that it was an underground explosion, it can be assumed that the amount of radioactive substances possibly released is so small that they do not pose any health risk to persons travelling to the Far East region.

The seismic measurements registered now may give a first indication of an underground nuclear weapons test. After a certain time lag, radioactive noble gases produced during a nuclear weapons test can reach the atmosphere through the ground. A final distinction between a chemical and nuclear explosion can only be made after radioactive fission products have been detected by one of the measuring stations. There is evidence suggesting a nuclear explosion.

World-wide monitoring system

With the help of the signatory states, the CTBTO - which is headquartered in Vienna – is currently setting up a world-wide monitoring system with a network of 321 measuring stations. It is capable of detecting, identifying and also localising a nuclear explosion at every place on earth with a high degree of probability. This system is based on