of the cisterns, causing an increase in the radionuclide concentration in the cistern water. When the Bikini people return and live in the houses, the vegetation growth around the cisterns will be eliminated, and screens can be placed over the openings to prevent vegetation from going into the cisterns. It is also possible to design the cisterns into the walls of the house, as was done at Enewetak. In either case, the radionuclide concentrations in the cistern water ‘would be lower as a result. ANNUAL RAINFALL 4 The annual rainfall at Bikini Atoll since 1982 is listed in Table 37. These data have been collected continuously using tipping-bucket rain gages. The data are collected in 20-second intervals, integrated over 20-minute time periods, stored on magnetic tape, and transmitted to a National Weather Bureau satellite for subsequent transmission to LLNL. We have a continuous 5-year record of rainfall, with a 20-minute resolution, from one station on Eneu Island and a continuous 3-year record from two stations on Bikini Island. The annual rainfall] has varied from a low in 1984 of about 32 inches to a high in 1986 of about 77 inches. The monthly 5-year-average rainfall at Bikini Atoll] is shown in Fig. 32. The dry season begins in December and runs usually through April. The rainfall increases usually in May through: August; August and September are usually the peak months. The significance of the annual rainfall and the rainfall pattern will be considered in the discussion. RESUSPENSION We have made detailed measurements of resuspension of particulate matter at both Bikini and Enewetak Atolls; a thorough discussion of our resuspension studies is given in Shinn et al. (1980). Under normal conditions, the mass loading in the air is about 21 yg/m>? of dust and organic particles and about 34 yg/m> of salt from the continual sea spray from wave interaction on the ocean reef. Ouring the process of clearing vegetation and surface groundcover by bulldozers, the mass loading from surface resuspension was 140 ug/ms, The cleared soil surface stabilized very rapidly over 3 to 4 days to a point where the mass loading was essentially back to normal (see Table 38). 60