English (7 MB) - Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty ...

MAJOR PROGRAMME 1:INTERNATIONAL MONITORING SYSTEMThe number of operational infrasoundstations increased rapidly duringthe year. Seven stations are nowtransmitting data to the IDC. Thesestations are undergoing a period oftesting and evaluation and should beready for certification early in 2001.The requirements for the certificationof infrasound stations were completedand the first certification visit was carriedout by the PTS.Construction of five other stations isin progress, either under contract orunder conditions of reduced assessment.Contracts were also completed for site preparation and station installationat nine other facilities and many of these stations are expected to be in operationby the end of 2001.The commencement of work on stations in Antarctica represents a major advancein the commissioning of the IMS infrasound network. Site surveys were carriedout at three of the Antarctic sites. Installation of the first station is under way andit is expected that this station will be in operation by the end of February 2001.An infrasound workshop was held in Passau, Germany, in October. This verysuccessful event was jointly organized by the German National Data Centre(NDC) and the PTS and was attended by 61 participants from 17 States Signatories.The report from the workshop highlights some of the remaining technicalissues related to the establishment and operation of the global infrasoundnetwork. The report also provides a number of valuable suggestions for the resolutionof these problems. Workshops of this type are very important to thework of the PTS since they help to resolve many of the difficult technical issuesthat are encountered in the establishment of the global IMS network.HYDROACOUSTICMONITORING SYSTEMAmajor achievement of the hydroacoustic monitoring programme during2000 was the completion of the first two new hydroacoustic stations, one ahydrophone based station, the other a T-phase station. The hydrophone basedstation is now certified; this was the first certification of an IMS hydroacousticstation. The certification process was commenced for the completed T-phasestation. Three additional site surveys were completed during the year, bringingthe total to 55% of the hydroacoustic network.Progress was made on two other hydrophone based hydroacoustic stations (themost expensive type of station in the IMS). For one of these stations, work iswell advanced. All equipment was manufactured and tested in preparation forthe critical at-sea installation phase, which is scheduled to take place in March2001. Difficulties arose during the at-sea installation of the second hydrophonebased hydroacoustic station, leading to a delay in completion of the installation.During the delay some components will be redesigned, manufactured andextensively tested. The station is expected to be complete towards the end of2001. A site survey for a further hydrophone based hydroacoustic station wasrecently commenced.4