A picture of the path of the Chelyabinsk meteor
A picture of the path of the Chelyabinsk meteorShutterstock

The Chelyabinsk meteor last year was the first natural event to cause shockwaves heard all around the world -- twice -- by the International Monitoring System (IMS), designed to pick up the sounds of nuclear weapons exploding in the atmosphere.

According to the study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, the meteor -- which exploded in the skies over Russia on 15 February this year -- gave a reading equivalent to 460 kilotons of explosives.

The authors write: "For the first time since the establishment of the IMS infrasound network, multiple arrivals involving waves that traveled twice round the globe have been clearly identified." It was picked up by 20 of the network's super low-frequency infrasound stations.

More importantly, though, is that it provides a rare opportunity for scientists to calibrate the IMS, which is operated by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation. It's meant to help verify that the international ban on nuclear tests is adhered to, but since its numerous stations around the world began to be set up in 1999 there have been few nuclear bombs going off to actually test the system works.

It's currently 80 percent complete, but when it's done 337 different stations around the world will monitor for the seismological, radionuclide, hydroacoustic and infrasound signals that mark a nuclear test.


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