[ RadSafe ] Text of CTBTO PRESS RELEASE

Fri May 29 07:16:46 CDT 2009

Dear RADSAFErs,

I know even as a non native speaker, that there is an English proverb: "You
can't teach an old dog new tricks!". The difference to humans is that old
men have to learn new (internet) tricks!!!

Thank you for your patience (btw corrected from "patients"!) and your good
advices. I promise not to try to send any attachments to RADSAFE in the
future. 

In the meantime others have forwarded the links and even the whole text. I
recommend anybody interested in the topic to study more about the CTBTO on
its home page.

Best regards,

Franz

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
MinRat i.R.
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Wien/Vienna
AUSTRIA

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Dan W McCarn [mailto:hotgreenchile at gmail.com] 
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 28. Mai 2009 01:32
An: 'RADSAFE'
Cc: 'Franz Schönhofer'
Betreff: CTBTO PRESS RELEASE - CTBTO's INITIAL FINDINGS ONTHE DPRK's
ANNOUNCED NUCLEAR TEST

(Cut and pasted from the University of Vienna site)  You may have to
reconstruct the hyperlinks or simply Google "CTBTO's INITIAL FINDINGS ON THE
DPRK"

http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2009/unisousri002.html
http://www.ctbto.org/the-treaty/developments-after-1996/2009-dprk-announced-
nuclear-test/

Dan ii

UNIS/OUS/RI/002 
26 May 2009

Re-issued as received

CTBTO's Initial Findings on the DPRK's Announced Nuclear Test

VIENNA, 26 May (UN Information Service) - The Democratic People's Republic
of Korea (DPRK) claimed earlier today, 25 May 2009, that it had conducted a
nuclear test. The Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Tibor Tóth, has
deplored the DPRK's action as "a serious violation of the norm established
by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and as such deserves
universal condemnation", see press release.

The International Monitoring System's (IMS) seismic stations registered a
seismic event at 41.2896 degrees North and 129.0480 degrees East at 00:54:43
GMT (09:54 local time). CTBTO Member States received the first automatic
estimate of the event at 02:24 in the morning; before the DPRK announced the
event. The signal's area of origin is largely identical with the 2006 DPRK
nuclear test.

Higher magnitude than in 2006

The event's magnitude is slightly higher than in 2006, measuring 4.52 on the
Richter scale, while in 2006 it was 4.1. Considerably more seismic stations
picked up the signal this time: 23 primary seismic stations compared to 13
in 2006; the closest IMS station to the event was at Ussuriysk, Russia, and
the furthest in Texas, USA - halfway around the world. Since the last DPRK
nuclear test, the number of seismic stations in the IMS network has
increased from 89 to 130. Overall, three-quarters or 75 percent of the 337
facilities in the International Monitoring System are already in place; see
overview on the progress in the build up of the verification regime.

Only after further analysis at the International Data Centre in Vienna,
using data from the 16 auxiliary seismic stations that recorded the event as
well,  will it be possible to confirm that the signal was manmade and not an
earthquake.

Nuclear character yet to be established

Once the manmade character has been established, the next step will be to
detect radioactive particulates or noble gases that are frequently released
into the atmosphere even by underground nuclear tests. In October 2006,
traces of the noble gas Xenon 133 took two weeks before being detected by
one of the  IMS's stations in Yellowknife, Canada; 7,500 km away. While the
noble gas network consisted of only 10 systems then, there are 22 today (out
of a total of 40 when the network is complete). Some of the new stations are
situated close to the DPRK, in China, Japan and Russia. While the exact
meteorological situation will determine how long it will take for these
stations to detect radioactive noble gases, the period of time is likely to
be shorter than in 2006.

On-site inspection would be possible

If the CTBT were in force, an on-site inspection could be dispatched to
corroborate the findings and present them to its Member States to pronounce
the final verdict. An on-site-inspection will only be possible after the
CTBT has entered into force. However, the initial seismic findings of
today's event have already homed in on it precisely enough to request an
on-site inspection under the Treaty's rules. These foresee that an area for
an on-site inspection must be no larger than 1,000 km². At the first stage
of  analyzing the available seismic data, the potential area of origin of
today's event could already be narrowed down to 860 km² - roughly the size
of the city of Berlin - and will further decrease significantly in the
coming days. The CTBTO has often trained its ability to conduct on-site
inspections, most recently in a major exercise at the former Soviet Union
nuclear test site Semipalatinsk in September 2008 during the so-called
Integrated Field Exercise 2008.

Only nine ratifications missing for entry into force

The 2006 DPRK nuclear test was condemned by the U.N. Security Council as "a
clear threat to international peace and security" through resolution 1718.
When the CTBT enters into force, the norm against nuclear testing will be
considerably strengthened, as a nuclear test will then constitute a breach
of international treaty law. Nine countries have yet to ratify the Treaty to
that effect: China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Israel and the United States,
who have already signed the Treaty, whereas the DPRK, India and Pakistan
have not yet signed it. 180 States worldwide have signed the CTBT, of which
148 have ratified; see interactive map.

* *** *

For further information, please see our special DPRK 2009 page on
www.ctbto.org - your resource on stopping nuclear testing, or contact:

Annika Thunborg 
Spokesperson and Chief, Public Information 
Telephone: (+43-1) 26030-6375 
Mobile: (+43-699) 1459-6375 
Fax: (+43-) 26030-5823 
Email: annika.thunborg at ctbto.org 
Website: http://www.ctbto.org

--

Dan W McCarn, Geologist
8, Le Buisson Sainte Anne
78860 Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche 
+33.(0).6.47.86.05.25 (Mobile - France) 
HotGreenChile at gmail.com (Private email)

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf
Of Franz Schönhofer
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 23:32
To: RADSAFE
Subject: [ RadSafe ] next desperate try to forward the CTBTO
pressrelease......

RADSAFErs,

I do not know, why the forwarding of messages does not include the
attachments. I have to confess that I am not even a modest specialist on the
internet. Now I try to download the attachment to my computer and to attach
it to my message separately. If this would not work I really do not know
what to do........ Time is approaching midnight in Austria, so it would be
time to give up for today. Maybe my dreams will offer a solution?

Dan, comment ca va en France? 

Best wishes to everybody,

Franz

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD

MinRat i.R.

Habicherg. 31/7

A-1160 Wien/Vienna

AUSTRIA