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 ("Shots") |
# of Personnel |
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, CA |
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/Johnston Island |
36 |
22,600 |
Operation Dominic II |
1962 |
Nevada Test Site |
4 |
2,900 |
Plowshare Program |
1961-62 |
Nevada Test Site |
27 |
N/A |
That's a total of 228 atmospheric nuclear explosions by the U.S., if my addition and data are both correct.
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.