Ascension Island Hydroacoustic Data System
Abstract
Over 50 nuclear explosions were registered between 16 July 1945, when the first nuclear explosive test was conducted by the United States at Alamogordo, New Mexico, and 31 December 1953. Increasing concern about the effects of nuclear tests led to a series of international treaties limiting nuclear tests, culminating in the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty in 1996. The CTBT, which prohibits all nuclear test explosions in all environments, was opened for signature in New York on 24 September 1996, when it was signed by 71 States, including the (then) five nuclear-weapon States. A critical element of the treaty is the capability to verify compliance with the Treaty. The United States Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) is tasked with monitoring compliance of nuclear test ban treaties for the US. AFTAC utilizes several different techniques, each designed to monitor a specific physical domain (i.e. underground, space, oceans, etc.). Together, these monitoring systems, equipment, and methods form the US Atomic Energy Detection System (USAEDS). An essential part of the USAEDS is the Hydroacoustic Data Acquisition System (HDAS). The HDAS consists of underwater sensor systems linked to shore facilities with undersea data transmission cables, and shore based computers for data storage and transmission to the National Data Center (NDC). HDAS sensors are installed at Diego Garcia (Indian Ocean), Cape Leeuwen, Australia and Juan Fernandez Island, (South Pacific Ocean). Another HDAS system is to be installed at Ascension Island (AI), a volcanic island located in the South Atlantic Ocean, with one array located north and one array south of the island, with cabling back to shore at Southwest Bay. Figure 1 shows the location of Ascension Island.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA497449
Entities
People
- Dallas Meggitt
- Edward Saade
- Hugh Thomson
Organizations
- Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center