Building the knowledge base : transitioning science from research to operations.

Nuclear explosion monitoring depends upon the accurate, continuous, and immediate processing of a vast amount of data to support the needs of decision makers. The Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) operates highly automated data collection and processing systems to support this mission. This data processing system requires extensive knowledge (e.g., station calibration and tuning parameters) to effectively monitor the earth for signs of nuclear explosions. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Ground-Based Nuclear Explosion Monitoring Research & Engineering (GNEM R&E) program has developed the process, infrastructure, and tools needed to manage the movement of research results into the NNSA Knowledge Base for evaluation and potential use by AFTAC. When possible, information in the NNSA Knowledge Base is put into a form used by the operational software. Thus, AFTAC can readily incorporate this information into its testbed for validation and appropriate baseline inclusion into operational pipeline processing. The NNSA Knowledge Base also facilitates use of information in an analystdriven, special event-processing mode, in some cases by providing software tools included in the NNSA Knowledge Base itself. This paper describes the life of a scientific data product from its conception as a research effort and development at a research institution, through its inclusion in a NNSA laboratory information product to its integration into the NNSA Knowledge Base, where after delivery it is tested and evaluated by AFTAC for use in the automated processing system or by event analysis staff. 25th Seismic Research Review Nuclear Explosion Monitoring: Building the Knowledge Base