On this date 1946, US detonated at Bilini Atoll, Shot Baker in Operations Crossroads.
1st underwater (90ft) nuclear detonation; had flotilla of naval ships; & involved non-consensual “relocating” of Marshallese.
I will be tweeting about Baker throughout day.
#PhDLife
1/n
1st underwater (90ft) nuclear detonation; had flotilla of naval ships; & involved non-consensual “relocating” of Marshallese.
I will be tweeting about Baker throughout day.
#PhDLife
1/n
2/n
Any discussion of Crossroads nuclear tests has to start with US nuclear colonialism.
The US coerced the Marshallese to leave their homes and then we nuked them 67 times with 108 megatons.
amp.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar…
Any discussion of Crossroads nuclear tests has to start with US nuclear colonialism.
The US coerced the Marshallese to leave their homes and then we nuked them 67 times with 108 megatons.
amp.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar…
3/n
Operation Crossroads (1946) was a Post WWII test/demo of Fat Man devices against naval targets (inter-service rivalry, what?).
Also allowed for further characterization of detonation effects & to posture for world.
Shot Able, 20kt, airdropped June 30, 1946
Operation Crossroads (1946) was a Post WWII test/demo of Fat Man devices against naval targets (inter-service rivalry, what?).
Also allowed for further characterization of detonation effects & to posture for world.
Shot Able, 20kt, airdropped June 30, 1946
4/n
#BakerDay
Setting off nuke in 90ft of water gives a vastly different phenomenology than air- or surface- bursts and not all of effects were predicted.
Like extent of the lethally radioactive base surge cloud!
#OTD 1946
Glasstone’s piece:
abomb1.org/nukeffct/enw77…
#BakerDay
Setting off nuke in 90ft of water gives a vastly different phenomenology than air- or surface- bursts and not all of effects were predicted.
Like extent of the lethally radioactive base surge cloud!
#OTD 1946
Glasstone’s piece:
abomb1.org/nukeffct/enw77…
5/n
Left: Soviet nuclear torpedo test.
Right: spray dome forming of Baker Shot.
shockwave of detonation hits the water-air interface causing the black “slick”.
white “crack” is (“presumably”) caused by the shock wave bouncing off the air-water interface (pic 3)
#BakerDay
Left: Soviet nuclear torpedo test.
Right: spray dome forming of Baker Shot.
shockwave of detonation hits the water-air interface causing the black “slick”.
white “crack” is (“presumably”) caused by the shock wave bouncing off the air-water interface (pic 3)
#BakerDay
6/n
detonating a 20kt nuclear weapon 90 feet under water makes a rapidly expanding bubble thus shock wave.
Shock wave headed up accelerates a HEFTY chunk of water & throws it into air forming spray dome.
1st 2 pics you can see light of nuclear fireball refracted.
#BakerDay
detonating a 20kt nuclear weapon 90 feet under water makes a rapidly expanding bubble thus shock wave.
Shock wave headed up accelerates a HEFTY chunk of water & throws it into air forming spray dome.
1st 2 pics you can see light of nuclear fireball refracted.
#BakerDay
7/n
#OTD1946
Baker produced underwater gas bubble full of screaming hot weapon debris, fission products, & steam’
Airslap: bubble hits air, creating blast, & releasing bubble’s contents.
Wilson Dome result of increased humidity & shock compression/rarification waves.
#OTD1946
Baker produced underwater gas bubble full of screaming hot weapon debris, fission products, & steam’
Airslap: bubble hits air, creating blast, & releasing bubble’s contents.
Wilson Dome result of increased humidity & shock compression/rarification waves.
8/n
#OTD1946
bubble from a 20kt, 90 ft underwater, nuclear detonation hitting the surface caused TWO MILLION TONS OF WATER to head up and damn quickly.
Water column for Baker was (paraphrase Gladstone) probably 6k ft high, 2k ft diamater, & 300 ft thick walls of water.
#OTD1946
bubble from a 20kt, 90 ft underwater, nuclear detonation hitting the surface caused TWO MILLION TONS OF WATER to head up and damn quickly.
Water column for Baker was (paraphrase Gladstone) probably 6k ft high, 2k ft diamater, & 300 ft thick walls of water.
9/n
“Bomb vs. Metropolis”
Shot Crossroads Baker (1946, 20kt, 90ft underwater burst) placed in comparison to the Empire State Building.
On this date, 1946.
“Bomb vs. Metropolis”
Shot Crossroads Baker (1946, 20kt, 90ft underwater burst) placed in comparison to the Empire State Building.
On this date, 1946.
10/n
What goes up, like 1-2 million tons of water, must come down and in this case it’s carrying 20kt worth of fission & activation products and nuclear weapon debris.
Crossroads Bravo produced a viciously radioactive “base surge”, the scale of which dwarfed the target ships.
What goes up, like 1-2 million tons of water, must come down and in this case it’s carrying 20kt worth of fission & activation products and nuclear weapon debris.
Crossroads Bravo produced a viciously radioactive “base surge”, the scale of which dwarfed the target ships.
11/n
WHOOPS! This is how we learn, I guess.
Base surge spreads “denching the target ships with its thick poisonous wetness.”
Baker test planners had not anticipated extent of dangerously radioactive base surge formed by launching millions of gallons of water into the air.
WHOOPS! This is how we learn, I guess.
Base surge spreads “denching the target ships with its thick poisonous wetness.”
Baker test planners had not anticipated extent of dangerously radioactive base surge formed by launching millions of gallons of water into the air.
12/n
The “atomic Ark” 😬.
Both Crossroads shots (Able and Baker) involved animal experimentation.
Some 15% of animals involved died from radiation, 10% from blast, and 10% from post-shot dissection and and analysis.
The “atomic Ark” 😬.
Both Crossroads shots (Able and Baker) involved animal experimentation.
Some 15% of animals involved died from radiation, 10% from blast, and 10% from post-shot dissection and and analysis.
13/n
Nuclear testing & phenomena needed new vocabulary and linguistic innovation, structuring metaphors and analogies:
#PhDLife
theguardian.com/artanddesign/2…
Nuclear testing & phenomena needed new vocabulary and linguistic innovation, structuring metaphors and analogies:
#PhDLife
theguardian.com/artanddesign/2…
14/n
A “Hot Supper” 🙄
Bioaccumulation of radioactive isotopes from algae into fish in the Bikini Lagoon.
These are autoradiographs where the radioactive object takes its own picture.
Pic 3 is labeled “plankton” fwiw.
A “Hot Supper” 🙄
Bioaccumulation of radioactive isotopes from algae into fish in the Bikini Lagoon.
These are autoradiographs where the radioactive object takes its own picture.
Pic 3 is labeled “plankton” fwiw.
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