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BULLETIN OF THE TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB

[Vou. 91

from ground zeros and/or from midlines. Concurrently, the percentage of
activity associated with particles < 44 (microns) and with particles < 88p
in diameter show a marked increase.
For a given detonation, the percentage of theoretical fallout activity*
associated with particles of < 44, is inversely related to the amount of
material incorporated in the fireball. Devices detonated as air drops at
altitudes > 1500 feet have produced no detectable fallout within 200 miles
of the Nevada Test Site. The local fallout from a balloon-supported device
whose fireball did not intersect the ground, accounted for only 0.2% of the
theoretical fallout activity produced by the detonation. For a similar balloon-supported device, whose fireball did intersect the ground, local fallout
accounted for 2.12% of the theoretical total. Tower-supported detonations,
with and without fireball-ground intersection, resulted in local fallout patterns containing 6.7% and 24.5% respectively of the total activity produced.
Of all the radioactive material produced by nuelear detonations at the
Nevada Test Site, < 25% of the total (and < 10% of the radiostrontium )
Table 6, Beta activity of fallout in relation to its particle size composition and distance from ground zero.

Miles from G.Z.
Particle Size
< 44y
44-88
88-125
> 125
Total Fallout

on Soil

12
2.3
1.9
1.8
94.0
4817

20
46
60
79
(% of activity in particle size range)
12.7
16.0
18.8
22.9
52.7
49.8
77.2
66.5
24.3
27.0
1.3
7.4
10.3
7.2
2.7
3.2
(Activity in ye/ft? at H +12 hrs)

2593

533

202

184

96
24.9
72.4
1.9
0.8
160

After: Baurmash et al. (1958).

has been deposited as local fallout (Larson et al. 1960). Presumably, the
remainder has been available for long distance transport and deposition
chiefly in areas to the east and northeast of Nevada.
2. Tropospherie fallout. The fine radioactive debris released to the troposphere in southern Nevada maybe carried by high-altitude winds across the
United States and around the globe in a girdle ranging from 30° to 60°
north latitude. Some tropospheric debris has been observed to cireumnavigate the globe in a period of from 4 to 7 weeks (Glasstone 1957). Some tropospheric debris may be deposited by gravity fall, and some maybe deposited
by impaction on vertical surfaces, but the removal of the major part Is
probably accomplished by rainfall and other forms of moisture precipitation (Greenfield 1957).

During the 1957 test series in Nevada, rainfall east of the Rocky Moun-

tains contained considerable quantities of 1-12 day-old fission products. In
* Based on an estimated gamma activity at H+1 hr of 3x10" euries per kiloton
of yield.

Select target paragraph3