| [Skip to Content] | ||
|
|
National Radiation Laboratory |
|
About
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
The International Monitoring System (IMS) is designed to verify compliance with the Treaty and to act as a deterrent by establishing a global network of facilities capable of registering shock waves emanating from a nuclear explosion underground, in the sea or in the air, as well as detecting radioactive debris released in the atmosphere.
The network consists of 321 monitoring stations comprised of:
- 50 primary seismological stations
- 120 auxiliary seismological stations
- 11 hyrdroacoustic stations
- 60 infrasound stations
- 80 radionuclide stations
The NRL is named in the Treaty as one of 16 Radionuclide Laboratories and under the terms of the Treaty is providing support to the IMS radionuclide stations throughout the world.
The NRL is responsible for the operation and maintenance of:
- six particulate radionuclide stations - two located in New Zealand at Kaitaia and Chatham Islands, one in the Cook Islands at Rarotonga, one in Fiji at Nadi, one in Mauritania at Nouakchott, and one in the Republic of Kiribati at Kiritimati Island.
- a noble gas radionuclide station on Chatham Islands
- an infrasound station on Chatham Islands
The photographs show the Rarotonga radionuclide station.
The NRL also fulfils the role of National Data Centre for New Zealand and Rarotonga. NDCs have two basic roles:
- to act as a technical adviser to the local government about whether any events detected by the worldwide network of monitoring stations could be caused by nuclear weapons explosions
- to act as a communication conduit between the International Data Centre maintained by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation in Vienna and organisations in a country who have an interest and want access to the data gathered by the worldwide network of monitoring stations
Further information on the CTBT and the NRL’s involvement can be found here:
The Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty - An Overview (PDF - 153 kB)
CTBT International Monitoring System (PDF - 98 kB)
The CTBT: New Zealand's Involvement in the International Monitoring System (PDF - 167 kB)
Test Ban Treaty monitoring stations: New Zealand first in the world (PDF - 117 kB)
External Website Links
Please read our External Website Link Disclaimer.
The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation www.ctbto.org