# In Ekker series, French nuclear tests

In Ekker was a series of 13 underground nuclear tests and five complementary subcritical atmospheric experiments by France between November 1961 and February 1966. The bombs were detonated at the Oasis Military Experiments Centre (Centre d'expérimentation militaire des oasis ) also named CEMO near In Ekker, French Algeria at the Tan Afella in the Hoggar Mountains, by the Nuclear Experiments Operational Group (GOEN), a unit of the Joint Special Weapons Command. At the beginning of the test series, the area was controlled by France as part of French Algeria, which was in the midst of its war of independence. While Algeria won its independence in 1962, the tests were controversially allowed to continue until 1966 as part of the peace treaty.
The series saw the explosion of the first AN-11/21 bombs and was followed by the 1966–1970 series. The tests remain controversial for their continued impact on the region.

## Codenames

The 13 underground operations were named after jewel stones, while the 5 AN-11/21 bombs tests were designated as Pollen I, Pollen Rose, Pollen Rouge, Pollen Safran and Pollen Jonquille.

## List of tests

| Codename | Date time (UTC) | Location | Elevation | Altitude | Delivery | Purpose | Device | Yield | Fallout |
| Agate | 1961-11-07 – 11:29:59.9 | Shaft E1 North – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°03′25″N 05°03′06″E﻿ / ﻿24.05694°N 5.05167°E﻿ / 24.05694; 5.05167﻿ (Agate) | 1,400 m | 0 m | Tunnel | Measurement procedures Study of mechanical effects | S1 | 5.0 kt | After 8 hours: 0.040 mGy/h (Drilling T11') |
| Béryl | 1962-05-01 – 10:00:00.5 | Shaft E2 – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°03′47″N 05°02′30″E﻿ / ﻿24.06306°N 5.04167°E﻿ / 24.06306; 5.04167﻿ (Béryl) | 1,580 m | 0 m | Tunnel | Test of an AN-11 bomb | S2 | >30.0 kt | After few minutes: 0.001 to 3.000 Gy/h After 1 hour: 7.000 Gy/h (7.0 km) After 1 day: 0.100 mGy/h (150.0 km) |
| Émeraude (Georgette) | 1963-03-18 – 10:02:00.4 | Shaft E3 South – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°02′29″N 05°03′09″E﻿ / ﻿24.04139°N 5.05250°E﻿ / 24.04139; 5.05250﻿ (Émeraude) | 1,540 m | 0 m | Tunnel | | | 10.0 kt | After 8 hours: 0.400 mGy/h (Drilling T32) |
| Améthyste | 1963-03-30 – 09:59:00.3 | Shaft E3 Bis – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°02′36″N 05°03′24″E﻿ / ﻿24.04333°N 5.05667°E﻿ / 24.04333; 5.05667﻿ (Améthyste) | 1,220 m | 0 m | Tunnel | Reuse of plutonium Test of new neutron detection devices | P1 | 0.85 kt | After 20 minutes: 0.200 Gy/h (1.0 km) After 1 day: 0.700 Gy/h (1.0 km) |
| Rubis | 1963-10-20 – 13:00:00.1 | Shaft E5 – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°02′05″N 05°02′12″E﻿ / ﻿24.03472°N 5.03667°E﻿ / 24.03472; 5.03667﻿ (Rubis) | 1,510 m | 0 m | Tunnel | | | 68.0 kt | After 1 hour: 1.000 Gy/h (1.0 km) After 5 hours: 0.100 mGy/h (? km) After 14 hours: 0.002 mGy/h (150.0 km) |
| Opale (Michèle) | 1964-02-14 – 11:00:00.3 | Shaft E1 South – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°03′13″N 05°03′07″E﻿ / ﻿24.05361°N 5.05194°E﻿ / 24.05361; 5.05194﻿ (Opale) | 1,380 m | 0 m | Tunnel | | | 3.7 kt | After 6 hours: 0.050 mGy/h (Drilling T12) |
| Pollen I | 1964-05-08 – ??:??:??.? | Shooting range – CEMO Tan Ataram, In Ekker, French Algeria 23°55′57″N 04°44′26″E﻿ / ﻿23.93250°N 4.74056°E﻿ / 23.93250; 4.74056﻿ (Pollen) | 940 m | 0 m | Surface | *Assessment of plutonium contamination during a simulated accident | AN-11 | N/A | |
| Topaze | 1964-06-15 – 13:40:00.4 | Shaft E6-1 – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°03′59″N 05°02′03″E﻿ / ﻿24.06639°N 5.03417°E﻿ / 24.06639; 5.03417﻿ (Topaze) | 1,410 m | 0 m | Tunnel | *Test of a new plutonium prototype | A1 | >1.0 kt | After 6 hours: 0.050 mGy/h (Drilling T12) |
| Turquoise | 1964-11-28 – 10:30:00.0 | Shaft E4 – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°02′30″N 05°02′29″E﻿ / ﻿24.04167°N 5.04139°E﻿ / 24.04167; 5.04139﻿ (Turquoise) | 1,760 m | 0 m | Tunnel | Fusion of lithium deuterium with plutonium Evacuation exercises | H2 | 5 kt | None |
| Pollen Rose | 1964-12-31 – 06:28:??.? | Shooting range – CEMO Tan Ataram, In Ekker, French Algeria 23°55′57″N 04°44′26″E﻿ / ﻿23.93250°N 4.74056°E﻿ / 23.93250; 4.74056 | 940 m | +1 m | Tower | *Assessment of plutonium contamination during a simulated accident | AN-11 | N/A | Contaminated area of 0.550 km$^2$ |
| Saphir (Monique) | 1965-02-27 – 11:30:00.0 | Shaft E7 – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°03′31″N 05°01′52″E﻿ / ﻿24.05861°N 5.03111°E﻿ / 24.05861; 5.03111﻿ (Saphir) | 1,830 m | 0 m | Tunnel | | B1 | 117 kt | Leak of noble gases (Drilling T71) |
| Jade | 1965-05-30 – 11:00:00.0 | Shaft E1-3 – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°03′18″N 05°03′02″E﻿ / ﻿24.05500°N 5.05056°E﻿ / 24.05500; 5.05056﻿ (Jade) | 1,460 m | 0 m | Tunnel | *Axial prototype | A2 | 0.6 kt | After 2 hours: 0.010 Gy/h (Drilling T31) After 4 hours: 0.020 Gy/h (Entrance) After 2 weeks: E1 explosion, leak of noble gases |
| Corindon | 1965-10-01 – 10:00:00.0 | Shaft E6-1 – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°03′53″N 05°02′02″E﻿ / ﻿24.06472°N 5.03389°E﻿ / 24.06472; 5.03389﻿ (Corindon) | 1,500 m | 0 m | Tunnel | Non spherical device Study of thermonuclear devices' ignition conditions | A3 | >4 kt | After 15 minutes: 3.200 mGy/h (Drilling T62) After 11 hours: 1.8 mGy/h (Entrance) |
| Pollen Rouge | 1965-11-01 – 21:53:??.? | Shooting range – CEMO Tan Ataram, In Ekker, French Algeria 23°55′57″N 04°44′26″E﻿ / ﻿23.93250°N 4.74056°E﻿ / 23.93250; 4.74056 | 940 m | +15 m | Tower | Assessment of plutonium contamination during a simulated accident | AN-11 | N/A | Contaminated area of 2.100 km$^2$ |
| Tourmaline | 1965-12-01 – 10:30:00.1 | Shaft E3 North – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°02′37″N 05°02′48″E﻿ / ﻿24.04361°N 5.04667°E﻿ / 24.04361; 5.04667﻿ (Tourmaline) | 1,600 m | 0 m | Tunnel | Study of MSBS missiles' ignition conditions Spherical fission plutonium device boosted with tritium | G3 | 10 kt | After 1 day: 0.200 mGy/h (Drilling T31) |
| Pollen Safran | 1966-01-10 – 02:06:??.? | Shooting range – CEMO Tan Ataram, In Ekker, French Algeria 23°55′57″N 04°44′26″E﻿ / ﻿23.93250°N 4.74056°E﻿ / 23.93250; 4.74056 | 940 m | +15 m | Tower | Assessment of plutonium contamination during a simulated accident | AN-21 | N/A | Contaminated area of 5.600 km$^2$ |
| Grenat (Carmen) | 1966-02-16 – 11:00:00.0 | Shaft E4-2 North – CEMO Tan Afella, In Ekker, French Algeria 24°02′41″N 05°02′28″E﻿ / ﻿24.04472°N 5.04111°E﻿ / 24.04472; 5.04111﻿ (Grenat) | 1,760 m | 0 m | Tunnel | Same purposes as Tourmaline, under different conditions | G'3 | 13 kt | After 2 hours: 0.005 Gy/h (Drilling T42) |
| Pollen Jonquille | 1966-03-09 – 22:12:??.? | Shooting range – CEMO Tan Ataram, In Ekker, French Algeria 23°55′57″N 04°44′26″E﻿ / ﻿23.93250°N 4.74056°E﻿ / 23.93250; 4.74056 | 940 m | +1 m | Tower | Assessment of plutonium contamination during a simulated accident | AN-21 | N/A | Contaminated area of 2.750 km$^2$ |
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