20 Apr 2011

ISRAEL / NUCLEAR TESTS

In February, a team of scientists from 20 countries travelled to the Negev Desert in Israel to carry out an experiment into how sub-audible infrasound waves travel in the atmosphere. The experiment will help scientists to fine tune how they interpret the data as well as to better pinpoint the location, time and nature of an explosion. CTBTO

Posted at: April 20, 2011 2:55 pm

Duration: 02:07

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: ISRAEL / NUCLEAR TESTS
TRT: 2:07
SOURCE: CTBTO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE:  FEBRUARY 2011, NEGEV DESERT, ISRAEL

1. Wide shot, Negev Desert, group of observers
2. Med Shot, CTBTO/Israel sign and scientists, some with cameras, look and point in direction of expected blast
3. Med shot, scientist with stopwatch
4. Wide shot, Observers grouped on hill, others lined up
5. Med shot, scientist counts down to explosion
6. Close up, explosion with plume rising
7. Med shot, scientists taking photographs
8. Wide shot, plume rising
9. Med shot, scientists watch and discuss blast
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Grenard, Head, Engineering and Development, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization: 
"In winter the stratospheric winds are blowing to the East, therefore we wanted to monitor in the region how the sound generated by this kind of explosion would propagate."
11. Med shot, computer monitor, scientists reviewing waveforms
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Yochai Ben Horin, Head, Israel Data Centre:   
"The stations hear it and we can measure the time it passes by the stations, to the time it arrives.  And we can compare it to the models that we have."
13. Wide shot, infrasound station
14. Close up, infrasound elements
15. Still shots, portable stations
16. Med shot, scientists discuss incoming data
17. Close up, list, mobile telephone
19. Close up, analysts working at desk, computer monitor
20. Various shots, animation of infrasonic signal data transmission
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Lassina Zerbo, Director, International Data Centre, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization: 
"Three of our main International Monitoring System stations have picked up the event quite nicely, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, which is 6500 kilometers away from the experiment site. This is quite fabulous and shows the sensitivity of our international monitoring station infrasound equipment."
22. Various shots, scientists examining blast site

STORYLINE:

Earlier this year in February, a team of scientists from 20 countries travelled to the Negev Desert in Israel to carry out an experiment into how sub-audible infrasound waves travel in the atmosphere.

The experiment involved a controlled 100 ton conventional explosion, which was then monitored by stations across the region.  It will help scientists to fine tune how they interpret the data: to better pinpoint the location, time and nature of an explosion.

The experiment was headed by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) under the leadership of Patrick Grenard.

SOUNDBITE (English) Patrick Grenard, Head, Engineering and Development, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization: 
"In winter the stratospheric winds are blowing to the East, therefore we wanted to monitor in the region how the sound generated by this kind of explosion would propagate."

In order to monitor the infrasonic signals from the blast, portable stations were erected in 15 countries in the Middle East Region and beyond.

SOUNDBITE (English) Yochai Ben Horin, Head, Israel Data Centre:   
"The stations hear it and we can measure the time it passes by the stations, to the time it arrives.  And we can compare it to the models that we have."

It takes a little over two hours for the silent waves to reach the nearest permanent CTBTO infrasound station, in Tunisia. The data is then transmitted in near real time to the organization's Vienna headquarters for analysis.

SOUNDBITE (English) Lassina Zerbo, Director, International Data Centre, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization: 
"Three of our main International Monitoring System stations have picked up the event quite nicely, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, which is 6500 kilometers away from the experiment site. This is quite fabulous and shows the sensitivity of our international monitoring station infrasound equipment."

Infrasound interpretation is a young science. The new data gleaned from this experiment will help CTBTO scientists to ascertain the nature of an explosion and better detect any violation of the nuclear test ban Treaty.