The technology and physics for monitoring of the comprehensive test ban treaty

The International Monitoring System (IMS) for the compliance of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty is composed of seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide detection, an international data center, and on-site inspection. It is an international 'big science' operation and relies heavily on physics and physics-based technology. A brief introduction is presented of the main techniques and physical problems related to IMS, its recent developments, and its potential for application to science and sustainability.