{"id":47064,"date":"2017-10-12T06:06:57","date_gmt":"2017-10-12T06:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=47064"},"modified":"2017-10-12T06:06:57","modified_gmt":"2017-10-12T06:06:57","slug":"north-korea-nuclear-tests-how-australia-is-watching-kim-jong-un","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/north-korea-nuclear-tests-how-australia-is-watching-kim-jong-un.html","title":{"rendered":"North Korea nuclear tests: How Australia is watching Kim Jong-un"},"content":{"rendered":"

North Korea nuclear tests: How Australia is watching Kim Jong-un<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

North Korea nuclear tests: How Australia is watching Kim Jong-un:- THERE are 321 monitoring stations around the world all designed with one common goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

The International Monitoring System (IMS) uses four technologies to monitor nuclear activity in countries including North Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly some of these stations are located within our own borders and play a powerful role in monitoring rogue nations.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a piece for The Conversation, Trevor Findlay, Senior Research Fellow Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne reveals the key role Australia plays.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Findlay writes Australia hosts six seismic, two infrasound, and one hydroacoustic station, including a large seismic array and infrasound station at Warramunga in the Northern Territory.<\/span><\/p>\n

DETECT AND RELAY<\/span><\/p>\n

The Vienna-based Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) uses the IMS to detect nuclear tests around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

This means if Kim Jong-un decides to conduct another nuclear test there are several monitoring stations in Australia which could potentially pick up this abnormal activity.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Dr Findlay its monitoring system, which began construction in 1996, is \u201csensitive enough to detect underground nuclear tests below 1 kiloton\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

The CTBTO picked up the September 3 blast detecting a seismic magnitude of 6.1 and a blast yield of 160 kilotons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Data such as this is picked up is transmitted to Vienna via satellite where it is analysed and distributed to member states.<\/span><\/p>\n

The CTBTO\u2019s International Monitoring System is basically designed to verify compliance with the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban treaty.<\/span><\/p>\n

POWERFUL TOOL<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Associate Professor at Australian National University\u2019s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Dr Stephan Fruhling, the monitoring system is hugely beneficial.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe technologies used by the monitoring system (seismic, infrasound, and radionucleides) were all used developed the Cold War to monitor other countries\u2019 nuclear tests, and\/or are also the same as used in geophysical monitoring,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, it has a much more vital function.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe main innovation of the CTBTO system is that it makes all raw data freely available, which means that all member states have now access to a global detection system that is meant to give confidence that the treaty is effective, whereas before only the superpowers had such capabilities,\u201d Dr Fruhling said.<\/span><\/p>\n

He also said the system is operating \u201ceven though the CTBTO itself isn\u2019t actually legally in force, and probably never will be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Fruhling said the system was very effective and expects it to become even more so over time as sensors and computing improve and the last few stations come online.<\/span>
\nHe said the system wasn\u2019t perfect.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some limits to the system in terms of very low-yield tests, especially where reduced enrichment fuels are used that do not produce a full yield but still a useful neutron flux to validate a weapons design,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, this is something that is of more use to the advanced nuclear powers who have a lot of experience and access to past testing data, than it is to a new proliferant like North Korea.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

AUSTRALIA\u2019S ROLE<\/span><\/p>\n

Nuclear disarmament campaigner John Hallam said the system and Australia\u2019s role in it was actually quite remarkable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr Hallam said the system has managed to not merely detect, but diagnose every North Korea test right from their first which was just a fraction of a kiloton.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia plays quite a key role, mainly with the big seismic and infrasound array at Warramunga and the Hydroacoustic station at Cape Leeuwin,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe CTBTO manages to do amazing work not only in detection of nuclear blasts, but also in detecting earthquake and volcanic activity and a secondary role as a tsunami early warning network.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However Mr Hallam said the current policies of the US threaten all of that as the CTBTO has been in effect \u201cboycotted\u201d by the Government, despite being the first to actually sign it.<\/span><\/p>\n

CTBTO\u2019s executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo is geophysicist who used to be the Director of the International Data Centre which processes and analyses all the data coming from the more than 300 stations around the globe.<\/span><\/p>\n

CTBTO\u2019s work, including the establishment and maintenance of the IMS, is mandated by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty which was negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in the 1990s and endorsed by the General Assembly. It opened for signature in 1996.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0http:\/\/www.news.com.au\/technology\/innovation\/north-korea-nuclear-tests-how-australia-is-watching-kim-jongun\/news-story\/0db7b03f8ebb9d99b045a6e4e9d6e23b<\/span><\/p>\n

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