DNA 1251~10EX 

COMPILATION o;F LOCAL FALLOUT DATA 

FROM TEST DETONATIONS 19451962 1. 

EXTRACTED FROM DASA 1251 

Volume I -Continental U.S. Tests 

General Electric Company-TEMPO 

DASIAC 

, 816 State Street 

Santa Barbara, California 93102 

1 May 1979 

. 

Extract 

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I. REPORT NUMBER 2. GOVT ACCESSION NO. 3. RECIPIENT’S CATALOG NUMBER 

DNA 1251-l-EX 

4.TITLE (and Subtitle) 5. TYPE OF REPORT 6 PERIOD COVERED 

COMPILATION OF LOCAL FALLOUT DATA FROM TEST Extract DETONATIONS 1945-1962 EXTRACTED FROM DASA 1251 

Volume I-Continental U.S. Tests 6 PERFORMING ORG. REPORT NUMBER 

DASIAC SR 179 VOL. I 

7.AUTHOR(s) 6 CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER(s, 

Howard A. Hawthorne, Editor DNA 001-79-C-0081 

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General Electric Company-TEMPO Subtask P99QAXDC008-09 DASIAC, 816 State Street 

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Director 1 May 1979 

Defense Nuclear Agency 13. NUMBER OF PAGES 

Washington, D.C. 20305 619 

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This work sponsored by the Defense Nuclear Agency under RDT&E RMSS Code 

B337079464 P99QAXDC00809 H2590D. 

9. KEY WORDS (Conlinus on revwse side if necessary and identify by block number) 

Weapons Testing Carlsbad, New Mexico 

Alamogordo, New Mexico 

Radiological Contamination Nevada Test Site 

Nuclear Radiation 

MA;;;;; 

0. ABSTRACT (Continue on ,ever~e side If necessary end identify by block number) 

. 

Fallout patterns from U.S. continental nuclear weapons tests. 

Also given are time and place of test and ambient winds. 

DD , ::yr3 1473 EDITION OF 1NOV 65 IS OBSOLETE UNCLASSIFIED 

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PREFACE 

This report has been prepared to serve as an unclassified source 

of information and data concerning the atmospheric nuclear test program 

conducted by the United States prior to 1963. The information contained 

herein was reproduced directly from the classified versions of the 

DASA 1251 series of reports. The classified material which was deleted 

to prepare this report was in accordance with the requirements of the 

Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and would not contribute to an understanding 

of the radiation interactions with personnel. All fallout plots and 

radiation contours are presented exactly as they appeared in the classified version of DASA 1251. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

OPERATION 

Trinity 

Ranger 

Buster Jangle 

Tumbler-Snapper 

Upshot-Knothole 

Teapot 

56 Project 

Plumbbob 

58 Project 

Hardtack II 

Nougat 

Appendix A 

PAGE NO. 

4 

9 

31 

66 

103 

165 

246 

251 

374 

383 

498 

Announced United States Nuclear Detonations 

Appendix B 

Safety Experiments 
INTRODUCTION 

The objective of this report is to provide a ready reference of 

fallout patterns and related test data for those engaged in the analysis of fallout effects. 

This compilation was extracted from DASA 1251 "Local Fallout from 

Nuclear Test Detonations" (U) Vol. 2 "Compilation of Fallout Patterns 

and Related Test Data" (U) Parts 1 through 3. DASA 1251 Vol. 2 was the 

work of Manfred Morgenthau, Harvy Meieran, Richard Showers, Jeffrey 

Morse, Norman Dombeck, and Arnold0 Garcia of the U.S. Army Nuclear 

Defense Laboratory under Defense Atomic Support Agency (now Defense 

Nuclear Agency) sponsorship. 

Although local (early) fallout is emphasized, the data presented 

will be useful to those studying world-wide (delayed) fallout as well. 

In this report local fallout is defined as all fallout which consists 

principally of the larger particles that are deposited within 24 hours 

after the detonation. World-wide or delayed fallout is defined as 

fallout which consists of very small particles which descend very 

slowly over large areas of the earth's surface. 

Data resulting from each U.S. detonation are presented chronologically. For each detonation, the basic information useful for an interpretation of the fallout data is tabulated first. This is followed by 

both on-site and off-site fallout patterns where available. A graph of 

the growth-rate of the cloud and stem is presented next. Wind speed 

and direction are then tabulated as a function of altitude, and hodographs are drawn from these data. 

EXPLANATION COMMENTS ON DATA PRESENTED 

Fallout Patterns 

One or more fallout patterns are given for each event, except for 

those shots for which no significant residual radiation was observed 

downwind of GZ or for which no patterns were found in the literature. 

In the remarks included on the basic data sheet for each shot, the 

individual fallout patterns are discussed briefly; some comments are 

made for those shots for which no patterns were available. The doserate contours for the fallout patterns have been drawn to show the 

gamma dose rate in roentgens per hours, three feet above the ground, in 

terms of the one hour after burst reference time. The t-l*'approximation 

was used when no actual decay data was available to adjust radiation 

measurements to the one hour reference time. It is important to recognize the H+l hour is used as a reference time, and that only the contours from low yield weapons are complete at one hour after burst. For 

high yield weapons, fallout over some parts of the vast areas shown does 

2 
not commence until many hours after the burst. The time of arrival of 

fallout is indicated on some of the fallout patterns by “dot-dash” lines. 

The time lines are intended to give only a rough average arrival time in 

hours as estimated from the wind reports and the available monitoring 

information. 

Induced Activity Patterns 

The contamination resulting from low air bursts is due primarily 

to the activity induced by neutrons which are captured by certain elements in the soil, notably sodium, manganese and aluminum. The resulting radiation field is circular and covers a limited area about 

ground zero. Weather conditions have very little influence on the 

location or shape of the induced radiation pattern. However, increasing the moisture content in soils can increase the induced activity 

levels. The rate of decay of the induced radiation field is different 

from the decay of fission products and depends on the composition of 

the soil over which the weapon was detonated. For Nevada soil, the 

sodium and manganese composition generally varies by a factor of 1.4 

to 2 and the aluminum composition varies by a factor of 3 to 7 within 

and between test areas. For most induced activity patterns in this 

report, a general neutron-induced decay curve for Nevada soil was used 

to extrapolate the observed dose rates back to H+l hour. For a few induced activity patterns, Na24 decay is used to extrapolate the observed 

dose rates to H+l hour. This decay rate is not strictly applicable but 

it closely approximates the observed decay. 

Wind Data 

The tables of wind data give surface and upper air winds for heights 

up to at least the top of the nuclear cloud. These data are presented 

for times as close to shot time as possible and for several times after 

shot. Directions are in degrees from which the wind is blowing, and are 

measured clockwise from north. Velocities are in statute miles per hour. 

The height of the tropopause at shot time is given when available. Although the meteorological data were taken in close proximity to ground 

zero, they do not necessarily represent the wind field downwind from 

ground zero in space and time. 

The hodographs are drawn for a constant balloon rise rate of 5,000 

ft/hr and are presented for illustrative purposes only. The fall rates 

of particles vary considerably with altitude; therefore, errors will result from the use of a constant fall-rate hodograph for fallout prediction. In general, particles in higher altitudes levels fall faster and 

the percentage change in the falling rate is greater for larger particles. 

The numbers on the hodographs represent altitudes in thousands of feet. 

The associated points represent the locations on the surface where particles having a constant fall-rate of 5,000 ft/hr could land if they 

originated over GZ at the altitudes shown. The letter S on the hodographs 

stands for “Surface” and the number next to it in parenthesis (for the 

Nevada shots) is the site elevation of ground zero in feet above MSL. 

3 
OPERATION TRINITY 

MST GMT 

IY\TE: 16 Jul lpi+'; 16 Jul l$+'/ 

?5K 0529 1229 

TOTAL YIELD: 19 kt 

FIREBALL MTA: 

Time to 1st minimum: NM 

Time to 2nd maximum: NM 

Radius at 2nd maximum: NM 

Sponsor: LASL 

SITE: 57 miles Northwest of 

Alamogordo, New Mexico 

Coordinates: 33' L+O' 31" N 

106' 28' 29" w 

Site elevation: 4,62l+ ft 

HEIGHT OF BURST: 1OC ft 

TYPE OF BURST AND PLACZMENT: 

Tower burst 

CLOUD TOP HEIGHT: 35,oco ft VIIL 

CLOUD BOTTOM JBIG!IT: 10,&G :‘t,MSL 

CRATER DATA: Diameter: 1,1X ft 

Dept.?.: 9.5 i”, 

Extensive surveys were made four :':3:1r~ after the shot tiii'.h I:?:a a:lc: 

;:amm3.survey meters. The m?asuremer!ts were adjusted to H+l ::WT by us1:lr 

tile t-l '2 law to approximate the decal.. 

4 
160 I I 

IS0 

Sanfo Fe 

‘ N t\ 

60 30 0 30 

DistonceFrom GZ, Statute Miles 

Figure 1. Operation TRINITY off-site dose rate contours in r/hr 

at H+l hour, 

5 
Cloud Top Height -

35.000 ft 

so25-

20-

IS- I

Cloud Bottom Height 

IO- 10,600 ft 

--. 

/ I i 1 

I 

I 1 I 1 I I I 

I I I 1 1

J 

4 6 0 IO 12 

Time, Minutes 

Figure 2. Cloud Dimensions: Operation TRINITY. 

6 
TABLE 1 AUMOGORW, NJiW MEXICO WIND DATA F'OR OPERATION TRINITY 

Altitude H-hour II+l$ hours H+4 hours H+7 hours H+lOi hours 

@SL) Dir Speed Dir Speed Dir Speed Dir Speed Dir Speed 

feet degrees mph degrees mph degrees mph degrees mph degrees mph 

___ __ -__ __ _a_ __ _..- _- 5,100 110 04 

;a$ 160 07 330 04 160 03 240 01 140 09 

200 06 260 03 150 03 120 02 100 04 

61700 230 07 230 04 140 03 140 05 100 03 

7,300 250 08 250 04 160 03 130 07 140 05 

250 10 270 03 160 05 130 07 150 07 

i$% 240 08 250 04 150 05 130 06 170 07 

9hQ 230 07 230 04 170 05 130 08 'r)Y 07 

9,700 220 08 230 07 190 07 140 10 IOU 06 

10,300 220 I2 230 10 210 10 150 10 170 05 

10,900 220 11 230 13 200 11 150 08 180 04 

11,500 200 08 220 12 180 11 150 05 070 02 

32,100 190 07 170 10 170 11 190 03 310 05 

12,700 170 09 160 11 180 11 240 03 310 06 

13,300 170 I2 160 12 190 11 240 04 320 04 

13,900 160 12 170 14 210 12 250 06 310 05 

14,500 150 13 180 16 200 13 270 08 290 06 

15,100 140 13 180 15 180 13 280 280 05 

15,700 130 16 190 13 170 16 280 ii 290 06 

16,300 120 16 190 12 170 16 270 05 280 07 

16,903 140 I.2 190 07 190 11 250 04 290 05 

17,500 160 10 160 07 210 03 240 05 270 03 

17,600 150 -_- -_ m-m -_ --_ -_ mm- -_ 13 

18,100 _-- __ 170 05 320 02 260 05 270 03 

18,600 150 12 we- __ m-v -_ _-- _- -_- __

18,700 s-m mm 210 04 280 02 260 06 270 01 

19,300 ___ -.. 220 03 270 03 250 06 130 03 

19&o 180 04 --_ __ w-m me -_- _- w-w __ 

em- __ me_ mm 19,900 270 02 250 06 180 05 

20,600 250 04 __- -_ _-_ __ _a_ __ __- -_ 

21,600 2110 08 _-_ __ m-m __ _a_ __ -mm -_ 

21,700 w-w __ me_ __ ___ __ 220 11 210 08 

22,600 220 11 __- -_ ___ __ v-m _- -_- -_ 

22,900 __- _- mm_ __ e-w __ 190 17 210 16 

23,600 220 15 w-w __ M-m __ __- __ w-w -_ 

24,600 220 15 --_ __ -we __ w-s Mm a_- __ 

29,600 230 16 __- -w e-w _- m-w Mm ___ _a

34,600 230 27 -_- -_ w-w __ w-m -_ -_- -_

240 19 ___ _a m-w __ __- __ w-m __ 39,600 

44,6Qo m-m __ 290 18 ___ -_ ___ __ __- __ 

48,600 280 11 s-m __ w-m __ m-w I_ m-w __ 

Note: At H-hour the surface air pressure was 12.39 psi and the tevcratu-~ 21.8@?. 

7 
SCALE 

0 IO 20 30 

miles 

Rise rate: 5000 ft/hr 

\ 

11.5 p” 12.5 N

1.5 a ii

S(46 24fl) 

H-Hour H+li/q H+4 

Figure3. Hodographs for Operation TRINI!tY 
-. 

I 

. 

i -

i: '2 .-_ 

.

t I 

! 

'4 

t-

_-. Y. . ..a..

‘-. I T 

L. I _- 3'

. 

__ -. -_ 

% 7 '1 lII -_ _-J 

6 

-

NEVADA TEST SITE 

Figure 4 . Operation RANGER, Shot Locations. 

9 
OPERATION RANGER - Able 

PST GM1 Sponsor: LASL 

DATE: 27 Jan 1971 27 Jan 1951 

TIME: 09+5 XT 1345 SITE: NTS - Frenchman Flat

36O 48’ N 

1150 57' w 

Site elevation: 3,140 ft 

TOTAL YIELD: 1 kt 

HEIGHT OF BURST: 1,060 i-t 

TYPEOF BitiRSTAND PLACEWXI': 

Air burst 

FIREMLL DATA: 

Time to 1st minimum: 3.4 msec CLOUD TOP HEIGHT: 17,000 ft MSL 

Time to 2nd maximum: _NM CLOUD BO!l'TGM HEIGIIT: No :ivailab i.e 

Radius at 2nd maximum: NM 

REMARKS: 

No local fallout. An induced-activity pattern was constructed 

from readings taken from H+l$ hours and to II+l$ hours along azimuths 

west and south of GZ. No decay correction was used. All the values 

below 20 mr/hr were measured with Geiger-Mueller type-26:LOA survey 

instruments. The values above 20 mr/hr were measured with highand low-range Juno ionization-type meters. 

10 
I500 - I I I I I I I I I I I I II I-

.I, 

-\ 

\ 

1000 -

- Maximum At 2~0.75 r/hi) \t lid-1 

t1500~ ’ 1000 ’ ’ I 

500 

I I I I 

0 

I I I , 

500 

,Q_ 

N 

1000 

Distance From G Z ,Yords 

Figure 5. Operation RANGER - Able. On-site dose 

rate contours in r/hr at H+l hour. 

11 
I 1 5 20 1 I I 1 I 

Cloud Top Height 

17,000 ft 

(Air Craft Dota) 

I’ . 

I( 

0

7 

! 

0 Theodolite Data 

I 

Time, Minutes 

Figure 6. Cloud Dimensions: Operation RANGER - Able 

12 
!TABLE2 NEVAM WIND MTA FOR OI'IBATION RANGER - ARLE 

Altitude H-12 hours H-hour H+l$ hours 

(MSL) Dir Speed Dir Speed Dir Speed 

feet degrees mph degrees mph degrees mph 

Surface 130 03 130 02 Calm calm 

4,000 

5,000 

6,000 

140 

230 

210 

03 

07 

21 

140 

230 

190 

02 

06 

13 

Calm 

230 

180 

Calm 

05 

07 

210 21 220 16 220 14 

;~~ 240 14 270 13 290 13 

9b 260 17 280 17 17 

10,000 260 23 280 21 ;: 21 

12,000 260 23 280 24 300 28 

14.,000 

16,000 

___ 

260 

_-

20 

270 

250 

21 

16 

270 

250 

21 

15 

18,000 mm_ __ 270 35 270 35 

20,000 --- -_ 270 _ 35 270 35 

NOTES: 

1. Wind data was obtained from the Ranger control point located on 

the slope of a mountain approximately 10 miles (in a southwesterly 

direction) from Frenchman Lake. 

Tropopause height was 33,000 ft MSL. 

;: H-hour values were determined by interpolation between the H-12 

and H+li hour values. 

4. The surface air pressure was 13.10 psi, the temperature -2.O'C 

and the relative humidity 73%. 

22.5 

H-Hour 

SCALE 

owe 

mile8 

Rio. rot.: 5000tt/hr 

Figure 7. Hodographs for Operation Ranger - Able. 

13 
OPL'RATION RANGER - Baker-l 

PST GMT Sponsor: LASL 

DATE: 28 Jan 1951 28 Jan 1951 

TIME: 0552 1352 SITE: NTS - Frenchman Flat 

36O 48' N 

1.p 57' w 

Site elevation: 3,140 f't 

HEIGHT OF BURST: 1,080 ft 

TYPE OF BURST AND PLACEMENT: 

Air burst 

FIREB4LL WTA: 

Time to 1st minimum: 6.8 msec 

Time to 2nd maximum: NM 

Radius at 2nd maximum: NM CLOUD TOP HEIGHT: 35,000 ft MSL 

CLOUD BOTTOM HEIGHT: Not availab1.e 

CRATER DATA: No crater 

REMARKS: 

No local fallout. An idealized induced-activity pattern was 

constricted from readings taken from H+l$ hours and to H-+1$ hours 

along one azimuth west of GZ. No decay correction was used. All 

the values below 20 mr/hr were measured with Geiger-Mueller type 

2610~ survey instruments. The values above 20 mr/hr were measured 

with high- and low-range Juno ionization-type meters. 

14