FARIA beyond the bomb - The Nuclear Watchdog Expands Its Science

Alexandria, VA-The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) was formed in 1996 to monitor the planet for evidence of rogue nuclear weapons tests and explosions. In its May issue, EARTH Magazine spotlights how the CTBTO’s worldwide monitoring network works and how it’s using the network for civil and scientific applications beyond test monitoring.

With hundreds of seismic, infrasound, hydroacoustic and radionuclide-detecting stations operating continuously around the world, CTBTO scientists - and, increasingly, researchers outside the organization - are realizing the potential of all the data collected. CTBTO data have been used to understand major natural events such as the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor and the 2011 Japanese earthquake, tsunami and eventual nuclear disaster. And in the future, it may contribute to improved volcano monitoring and understanding of atmospheric processes. EARTH Magazine gets you up to speed on the CTBTO’s science, and also highlights how the organization is fostering an open-access culture to spur innovation: http://www.earthmagazine.org

EARTH Magazine brings you the science behind the headlines in its May issue, available now on the digital bookstand at http://Avww.earthmagazine.org. Discover ground-shaking research on human-caused earthquakes, and read about how changing climate could have shaped human language, plus much more!