Science Post: CTBT and AFTAC

Time for another science installment. This time I’ll be talking a little bit about CTBT and AFTAC. Both projects have the goal of detecting nuclear detonations around the world. The CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) project is funded by an international organization, and is part of a network of hundreds of stations comprised of seismic, hydrophonic, and infrasound detectors. They are used to look for detonations on the ground, in the water, and in the atmosphere, respectively. The project here is an infrasound system maintained by the University of Alaska - Fairbanks. It is located about 20 miles off station in an area know as Windless Bight because while it isn’t actually windless, it is much less windy than places closer to town.
The grantees for CTBT were in town in November and December and I was able to get out to Windless Bight twice in that time. The first time was as part of a fuel delivery for BOB (Big Orange Box), the orange building that houses the generator and computer systems for the infrasound array. The second time I came out was to learn about the generators and to learn how the onsite system works, just in case I have to go out there in the middle of the winter to troubleshoot. We’ll see if BOB behaves itself this winter.

Flag lines marking the route out to one of the sensors

A sensor vault in the distance

An ice fall in the distance.

AFTAC is the US Air Force’s version of CTBT and uses seismic monitors out in the Dry Valleys. I wrote earlier about my visit out to Mt. Newell and Bull Pass to help them work on their generators.