Listening for illegal nuclear tests

The Danish Metereological Institute is now part of an international network that is actively tracing illegal nuclear weapons testing.

The station is located near Qaanaaq in northern Greenland. It uses two kilometers of pipeline in eight star-shaped pipe systems to register low-frequency pressure waves in the atmosphere. By comparing signals from several measuring points, the station can determine the direction of the pressure waves’ source.

Data from more than 300 measuring stations is sent to Vienna, Austria where officials can locate the source of atmospheric or underground testing.