; eee BNL FecoRAaS COLLECTIO Nagshalll Lslos The Medical Research Center ad REPOSITORY ion: Brook} Lahoraiar:y rookhaven National Reprinted from BNL 609 (T-1%@pton, L. L, New York BOX No. MEMS Depb Addendum IVR FOLOER Qype A NOTE ON THE VEGETATION OF THE NORTHERN ISLETS OF RONGELAP ATOLL, MARSHALL ISLANDS, MARCH 1959 B.S. BLUMBERG * AND R.A. CONARD and to re-examine the vegetation. A helicopter Fosberg'* reported changesin the vegetation of the northern islets of Rongelap Atoll (observed in 1956) which he inferred might have been associated with the radioactive fallout that occurred on this atoll in 1954. During the medical survey of the Rongelap people’ carried out in March 1959, an opportunity arose to visit some oftheseislets was available for transportation, which permitted general and detailed air examination as well as two short ground surveys. The northernislets were estimated to have received a radiation dose of == 3000 r. Theislets of Naen and Gegen were examinedin greatest detail. The most striking feature observed from the air was the generally gray color of much of the vegetation, in contrast to its *NauionalInstitutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. LOMUILAL I. -- 166° 40’ € | “oO. g CHEN | 167" E EeMAEN er “gb ° CE bE pnetae C8,aa vee my io. i i| J : KABELLE LP. ; i | ae ! RONGELAP ATOLL Le WEST ... PASS ri 7 3 A, roo? 57 - a: 0: 4, MELLU Lo: a eI rO GEBELLE |. at om ae Sp ; 2 11° 20° N , 11? 20° N 1 vy | a i | 2 ! 2 1 Q ft f ENIAETOK| : “G NAUTICAL MILES o> ey. he Qh A ar X ne ‘ “oS > oe a 166° ° 50’ + E ar *0 a R: a: a 0" N © 40° ¥. ‘i i: 2 os cS &=> ee SOUTH PASS | ee ey 166° ‘i | - E ' ¢: h BUROK| me. *, a wt St P 5 SRE <a ARBAR|. et 85 BO8 1.923 qo “ ‘* | ! °; 2 * 1 : RONGELAP | Figure A-1. Map of Rongelap Atoll showing position of majorislets. em N : BE: | 5 4 3 ot a 67° © 11° 10° N E ~