The Role of Seismology in the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

Event Type: 
Geosciences Lecture Series
Date: 
Friday, April 21, 2017 - 3:30pm
University of Rhode Island
Location: 
Morrill Science Center 129

Seismology plays a central role in the detection, location, and disrimination of underground nuclear tests. Since the United Nations voted to adopt the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996, seismology has adavanced significantly. Seismologists now have far more siesmographs to record siesmic events worldwide and use sophisticated methods to figure out whether the wiggly lines of the seismograms are from an earthake or a nuclear/chemical explosion. Dr. Shen will discuss developments of sesimology over the past two decades and his recent research that has improved the capabilites of detecting and discimrninating underground nuclear tests.

Photograph of Dr. Yang Shen, smiling on a mountainside.