What Nuclear Bombs Taught Us About Whales

In the 1990s, a global agreement was made to ban nuclear tests, leading to the creation of a sensor network to detect nuclear explosions. This network also picks up signals from other sources like volcanoes and icebergs. While this background noise complicates nuclear detection, it provides valuable data for other scientific purposes, such as tracking whales and studying meteoroids. The data has revealed more about weather patterns and earthquake epicenters, improving tsunami warnings. The system, initially designed for nuclear detection, has expanded our understanding of the planet and raised new questions about unidentified sound waves.

What agreement did most of the world's governments reach in the 1990s regarding nuclear tests?

What challenges do scientists face due to background noise when monitoring for nuclear explosions?

How do scientists use the data from the network of sensors beyond detecting nuclear explosions?

What have scientists learned about the number of meteoroids in Earth's atmosphere?

In what ways has the system built to detect nuclear tests contributed to our understanding of the planet?