U.S. Atmospheric Nuclear Testing
Between the years 1945 and 1962, the United States conducted large numbers of atmospheric nuclear tests. This meta-node lists the test series, their locations and some additional information. Note: the islands of Eniwetok and Bikini Atoll are in the Pacific ocean, and are part of the U.S. Pacific Proving Grounds; Christmas Island is a territory of Australia approximately 1,200 nautical miles south of Honolulu, HI. The signing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963 put an end to atmospheric nuclear testing by the U.S.; the last atmospheric detonations by the U.S. were Operation Dominic I (a.k.a. Operation SUNBEAM by the U.S. DOD) in 1962.
Test Series Year Location # of Tests # of Personnel
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Project Trinity 1945 Alamagordo, NM 1 164
Operation Crossroads 1946 Bikini Atoll 2 40,112
Operation Sandstone 1948 Eniwetok 3 11,782
Operation Ranger 1951 Nevada Test Site 5 266
Operation Greenhouse 1951 Eniwetok 4 7,590
Operation Buster-Jangle 1951 Nevada Test Site 7 7,812
Operation Tumbler-Snapper 1952 Nevada Test Site 8 8,710
Operation Ivy 1952 Eniwetok 2 11,650
Operation Upshot-Knothole 1953 Nevada Test Site 11 18,000
Operation Castle 1954 Eniwetok & Bikini Atoll 6 12,700
Operation Teapot 1955 Nevada Test Site 14 8,700
Operation Wigwam 1955 500 mi. off San Diego 1 6,800
Operation Redwing 1956 Eniwetok & Bikini Atoll 17 11,350
Operation Plumbbob 1957 Nevada Test Site 24 13,300
Operation Hardtack I 1958 Eniwetok & Bikini Atoll 34 16,000
Operation Argus 1958 South Atlantic Ocean 3 4,500
Operation Hardtack II 1958 Nevada Test Site 19 1,650
Operation Dominic I/Sunbeam 1962 Christmas Island 36 22,600
Operation Dominic II 1962 Nevada Test Site 4 2,900
Plowshare Program 1961-62 Nevada Test Site 27 N/A
Information taken from the FAS (http://www.fas.org), enviroweb (http://www.enviroweb.org), and Richard Rhodes' The Making of the Atomic Bomb and Dark Sun.