Hidden deep in a remote woodland area near Haidmühle, right on the Czech border, lies a strictly secured monitoring station that plays a crucial role in global security. Normally inaccessible to the public, this station welcomed international visitors today.
Beneath the surface of the Sulzberg in the district of Freyung-Grafenau, state-of-the-art measurement technology is at work. It detects ground vibrations and low-frequency infrasound generated by clandestine nuclear weapons tests or explosions worldwide. Operated by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), the facility ensures that all nuclear powers comply with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Diplomats from around the world visited the station
The monitoring station has existed for 35 years and is considered one of the most precise of its kind in Europe. Few places are as free from external interference as the Sulzberg. Around 40 diplomats from 27 countries, along with representatives from Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Vienna, visited the facility to gain firsthand insight into its operations.
Strong detections, including from Ukraine
“One of the last major explosions we clearly recorded here was the ammonium nitrate detonation at the port of Beirut in 2020. But we have also detected powerful blasts from Ukraine,” explained Lars Ceranna of the BGR. However, military intelligence is not part of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources’ remit. Its sole purpose is to monitor compliance with the nuclear test ban treaty. “This is currently the only globally valid agreement that has also been ratified by Russia, China, and the United States and is subject to regular verification,” Ceranna added.
North Korean nuclear tests recorded
The Haidmühle station consists of two sections: a seismological and an infrasound measurement unit. The seismic station recorded all six North Korean nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017. The infrasound technology captures sounds below the human hearing threshold, such as the eruption of Italy’s Stromboli volcano in July 2019, which was also distinctly detected.
CTBT still not fully implemented after decades
Since 1966, an international agreement has prohibited nuclear tests in the atmosphere, underwater, and in outer space. To date, nine countries officially possess nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel. Of these, India, Pakistan, and North Korea have never signed the CTBT.
Among the 44 so-called “Annex 2 States” whose ratification is required for the treaty to enter into force, five have signed but not ratified it: Egypt, China, Iran, Israel, and the United States. In these countries, the treaty has therefore not come into effect. Russia officially withdrew its ratification at the end of 2023.
Global monitoring through 321 stations
To verify compliance with the treaty worldwide, a network of 321 monitoring stations has been established. These are located in areas with minimal environmental disturbances. In addition to the facility in the Bavarian Forest, the BGR operates stations in Antarctica. Data from all stations are transmitted to the International Data Centre of the United Nations in Vienna, where they are analyzed, stored, and archived.
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