Online meeting to discuss the agenda of the 2024 National Data Centre (NDC) Workshop

  Via Video Conferencing, VIC
  23 Apr 2024 - 23 Apr 2024

In response to the recommendation from the 2022 NDC workshop which stated, ‘The PTS should hold a virtual meeting six to nine months prior to each NDC workshop to discuss the agenda and better involve NDCs in its elaboration’, this meeting is to provide a forum for States Signatories discussion of topics to potentially include in the agenda for the 2024 NDC Workshop.


Technical Training for Station Managers of IMS stations operating under PCA contracts

  Vienna, Austria
  06 May 2024 - 10 May 2024

To provide Station Managers with the knowledge and technical understanding of the PTS procurement process, the scope of O&M activities in the PCA contract, change to the PCA contract, managerial responsibilities of the station manager, mechanisms for USM and logistical support, configuration change management process, and communication with PTS through reporting.

Agenda:

Participants Profile:

Individuals with managerial and planning responsibility at certified IMS stations with PCA contracts in place or PCA contracts to be concluded in 2024 and 2025.

Candidates must be proficient in English.

States Signatories hosting IMS stations with PCA contracts should nominate participant(s) who are station managers directly involved in the planning and management of operation and maintenance activities.

Priority will be given to managers who have not received training on PCA contract management and Operation and Maintenance Planning.


Hybrid Technical Meeting on the IDC Validation and Acceptance Test Plan

  Vienna, Austria
  22 May 2024 - 24 May 2024

The objective of this technical meeting is to continue the process of completing the IDC Validation and Acceptance Test Plan (VATP). The focus for this particular meeting will be to;

  1. Discuss the draft VATP and review comments made regarding the current draft and suggestions to address specific issues.
  2. Review the plan for the 2024 Experiment.
  3. Review the Test Implementation Plan for the 2024 Experiment
  4. Discuss the scope of the Technical Report content to capture the results from the 2024 Experiment.


International Noble Gas Experiment Workshop 2024

  Vienna, Austria
  10 Jun 2024 - 14 Jun 2024

The Workshop aims to present and evaluate recent advances in noble gas monitoring in support of the CTBT.

Agenda:

Participants Profile:

The workshop is open to scientists, engineers and experts involved in Noble Gas monitoring related to the CTBT verification regime.

Please be informed that the Provisional Technical Secretariat solicits presentations and posters from participants on the topics of the Workshop.


Technical Meeting on SHI Software Engineering

  Vienna, Austria
  24 Jun 2024 - 25 Jun 2024

This meeting allows State Signatories to learn about software development efforts at the IDC, with a focus on waveform technologies. Several efforts are ongoing to improve the software in use at the IDC, and NDC software shared with State Signatories via NDC-in-a-Box.

The PTS is currently in the Implementation phase of the IDC SHI Reengineering program, which includes a large-scale effort to improve the SHI processing system, State of Heath, and the Analyst Interface. The goal remains to develop a modern, maintainable, and open-source SHI data processing system. Progress is ongoing, and many states have participated in the Alpha Testers Group for Reengineering.

Meanwhile, several other software development efforts have led to improved IDC product distribution, NDC-in-a-Box (NIAB), routine data processing, and processing for Expert Technical Analysis.

This meeting allows experts to discuss such software updates in depth and provide review and feedback.    

This technical meeting will focus on:

Meeting participants are invited to contribute to the technical meeting by making a 20-minute presentation related to one of the following themes:

Theme 1: IDC Reengineering Project Status, Experiences of Alpha Testers Group, NDCs engagement with Reengineering.

Theme 2: Improvements of SHI processing, data product and distribution at the IDC

Theme 3: Technical and Scientific Ideas to improve SHI processing

Participants profile:

Experts responsible for the software development for waveform monitoring at the National Data Centres.

Experts involved in software development for environmental monitoring applications, particularly in waveform methods, including signal processing, user interfaces, database systems.

Participants should have in-depth knowledge of at least one aspect of SHI data processing at the IDC.


Regional Infrasound Workshop and Integrated Training for SEAPFE NDCs

  Yogyakarta Special Region , Indonesia
  01 Jul 2024 - 05 Jul 2024

Regional Infrasound Workshop & Integrated Training

Regional Infrasound Workshop & Integrated Training

Workshop Objectives

The Regional Infrasound Workshop aims to:

  • Build up national and regional capacities in implementing the Treaty and participating in the verification regime.
  • Promote the civil and scientific application of verification technologies, emphasizing infrasound technology.
  • Facilitate the exchange of experience and expertise in Infrasound technology among the National Data Centres (NDCs) in the SEAPFE region.
  • Strengthen participants’ knowledge of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the work of the Preparatory Commission.

Infrasound Integrated Training Objectives

The Integrated Training aims to:

  • Understand and learn how Infrasound data can support the verification regime and its civil and scientific applications.
  • Learn to use the Infrasound tools in the NDC in a Box (NiaB) package for processing data collected from a portable array experiment.
  • Stimulate regional cooperation in Infrasound data analysis through the NDCs.


International Atmospheric Transport Modelling Workshop 2024

  Vienna, Austria
  03 Jul 2024 - 05 Jul 2024

The objective of the workshop is to consolidate a forum for scientific knowledge exchange to strengthen the Atmospheric Transport Modelling (ATM) community affiliated to CTBTO’s verification regime. This forum is for specialists and enthusiasts who seek a common goal in building this capacity. The three main areas to cover are:

• In general: Technological advancements in Atmospheric Transport Modelling pertinent to the improvement of CTBT’s radionuclide verification technology.

• More specific: Uncertainty quantification and its scientific methods for data analysis to gain more confidence in ATM.

• Datafusion: Methodologies to spatial-temporally link SHI (seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound) and RN (radionuclide) events. 

Participants Profile

The workshop is aimed at all scientists, engineers and other persons involved in atmospheric transport modelling. Please be informed that the Provisional Technical Secretariat solicits presentations and posters from participants on the topics of the Workshop.


International Hydroacoustics Workshop 2024

  Vienna, Austria
  09 Sep 2024 - 11 Sep 2024

The objectives of the workshop are to support the CTBTO verification regime by creating a forum for scientific knowledge exchange on three main themes:

The IHW2024 will address the following themes in hydroacoustics related to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT):

 

Theme 1: Technological advancements in marine engineering pertinent to the sustainability and improvement of the hydroacoustic component of CTBT’s International Monitoring System;

Theme 2: Data analysis and signal processing methods for CTBT verification purposes;

Theme 3: 3-D modelling for long-range hydroacoustic signal propagation.

 

The above themes will include but will not be limited to the following topics:

Theme 1 topics:

1.1 Technological advancements in marine engineering pertinent to the sustainability and improvement of the hydroacoustic component of CTBT’s International Monitoring System (IMS):

1.2 Technology and engineering trends in Ocean Observatories, with emphasis on technologies and trends pertinent to the IMS hydroacoustic networks: a) Risk mitigation in design, installation and operation of submarine cabled-to-shore systems, and b) data monitoring for early/predictive identification of sensor degradation to improve maintenance;

1.3 Longevity and sustainability of modular ocean observation systems and maintainability challenges in environmentally difficult locations, including operational aspects related to the use of Remotely Operated underwater Vehicles in the maintenance of such systems;

1.4 Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) systems for passive ocean acoustics: installation, sustainment, longevity and detection performance comparison with pertinent hydrophone systems;

1.5 Ocean Decade Projects and Initiatives on passive ocean monitoring and SMART telecommunications cables;

 

Theme 2 topics:

2.1 Hydroacoustic data analysis and signal processing methods for event detection, location, and CTBT verification purposes;

2.2 Scientific and civil applications of IMS hydroacoustic data analysis, including vDEC projects;

2.3 Ocean soundscape measurements and applications using IMS hydroacoustic data;

2.4 Seismoacoustic data processing from submarine cables: current methods and future directions;

2.5 Ocean acoustics tomography and thermometry, both passive and active.

 

Theme 3 topics:

3.1 Acoustic-seismic and seismic-acoustic transfer functions at coastal seismometers: estimation and modelling;

3.2 Estimation and modelling of 3-D propagation effects on low-frequency (<100 Hz) hydroacoustic signals propagating in the ocean.

 

As always, additional CTBT-related contributions on relevant topics are also welcome.

 


STM24: Specialized Technical Meeting on Operations and Maintenance of the International Monitoring System (IMS) on Power in Extreme Environments and Integrated Portals for Station Operation of the IMS

  Vienna, Austria
  19 Nov 2024 - 21 Nov 2024

The last Specialized Technical Meeting on Preventive and Predictive Maintenance was held online in 2020, and the last O&M Meeting with a full spectrum of topics was held in 2022.

Following the recommendation from the 2015 O&M Workshop of alternating full-spectrum and specialized events, a Specialized Technical Meeting (with specific topics) will be held again in 2024 with the following objectives:

To provide a platform to present measures and tools that will lead to enhanced monitoring and sustainment of the IMS on:

  1. Innovative developments in State-of-Health (SOH) monitoring and tools for Station Operators, including on enhanced notification and predictive analysis.
  2. Potential sustainability enhancements for the IMS station network, in the areas such as equipment standardization, best practices of operation, documentation, training.