What did the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty primarily ban?

• A. Underground tests
• B. Nuclear tests in general
• C. Naval tests only
• D. Atmospheric tests

Answer: (D)

The main idea of this treaty is to curb the spread of radioactive fallout by stopping nuclear explosions in the environments where they spread most broadly. It bans tests conducted in the atmosphere, in outer space, and underwater. Those settings produce the widest distribution of radioactive material and were the focus of the ban, which is why atmospheric testing is emphasized as the primary restriction. Underground tests were allowed, so they aren’t the central target of the treaty. Naval or underwater testing falls under the broader ban on testing in the oceans, but the key impact people remember is the prohibition of atmospheric tests.