P.E. Amponsah1 , P. Akor1
1Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Accra, Ghana
Abstract:
The establishment of National Data Centres (NDC’s) by member states helps in the monitoring and verification efforts of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). The core mandate of the CTBTO is to ban all nuclear test explosions. Almost all the West African countries have signed and ratified the CTBT. Ghana being a signatory and a ratified member state of the organization established its National Data Centre in February, 2010. To monitor nuclear test explosions, systems built on the principles of seismic, infra-sound, radionuclide and hydro-acoustic technologies are installed worldwide to record and monitor man-made and natural events. Ghana is a beneficiary, as it uses the seismic data obtained from the International Data Centre to monitor earthquake activities in the country complementing the efforts of the Geological Survey Department of Ghana. The West Africa sub-region has experienced some devastating earthquakes in the past though far from the major plate boundaries. The NDC’s established in the region are therefore making good use of the data received from the International Monitoring System and products from the International Data Centre to monitor its seismic activities. The infrasound technology has as well been introduced in the sub-region.
