The comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and Seismological Research

Abstract

Even as I write, the U.S. Senate is conducting hearings on the issue of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), signed by President Clinton on September 24, 1996, and by more than 140 other nations subsequently. Building upon several previous bilateral and multilateral treaties that have partially constrained nuclear weapons testing since 1963, the CTBT mandates that “Each State Party undertakes not to carry out any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion, and to prohibit and prevent any such nuclear explosion at any place under its jurisdiction or control” (Article 1.1, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty). If globally embraced, the CTBT will shut the door on the nuclear weapons testing era after 52 years and more than 2090 nuclear explosions around the world. As the Senate considers the many political, technical and philosophical issues that frame this particular arms control endeavor, it is important...