Russian Experience in Global Seismic Monitoring

Abstract

In 1945 the United States carried out the trial explosion of the first nuclear device. In 1949 the USSR carried out the test of its own nuclear device. A Nuclear “genie” was released and it has been found that in practice, it is more difficult to put it back than it was to release it. The monitoring of nuclear tests used to be the problem in the way of a ban. Dr. Igor V. Kurtchatov, the leader of the Soviet program on development of nuclear arms, was the first who expressed the idea of creating special technical means for detecting nuclear explosions from substantial distances. Having understood that it will be possible to agree upon prohibition of test only when the parties are sure about the possibility of their monitoring such a treaty, he defined the task of development of a physical-technical base and equipment for the detection of nuclear explosions from substantial distances after learning about the physical effects of those explosions.