Chapter 6: Summary and Recommendations
Recommendation #4: Maintain a robust research program related to seismic verification methodology and instrumentation
- Independent of the international framework established for a CTBT, the United States should maintain a robust seismic research program (both basic and applied) and a program in developing advanced instrumentation and automated analysis systems.
- The university seismological research community is an important resource that can contribute greatly to the monitoring task if brought to bear on technical questions related to verification. Most of the major advances in seismic monitoring techniques have been developed through university research. In addition, universities were the first organization from the West to establish permanent open seismic stations within the former Soviet Union.
- There should be a clear pathway for basic research concepts to be developed and transitioned to the operational organization.
- The basic research program has been funded through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the applied research program has been funded through Air Force Phillips Laboratory, and instrumentation and automated analysis systems have been developed through the Department of Energy and ARPA´s Nuclear Monitoring Research Office.
To implement...
- Maintain a robust basic research program that solicits proposals in verification research and evaluates them on a peer-review basis. The IRIS program, which is reviewed and authorized by the National Science Foundation and represents the major data acquisition effort of the university research community, should be coordinated with the research needs of the verification community.
- Maintain an applied research program that transitions basic research to the operational agency.
- Develop verification system goals and requirements through organizations without conflicted interests in nuclear weapons development, and subject these goals and requirements to external review based on overall national security requirements.
Nuclear Testing and Nonproliferation
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