An interesting aspect for conjecture on this shot is offered when the photographs (Figures 3.5 and 3.6) are compared with those of Mohawk (Figures 3.15 and 3.16).
Although
the heights of burst were quite different, Zuni being a near-surface burst and Mohawk a
tower burst, the results were similar in that the crater removed the end of an island.
The photographs show that Zuni tended to peel back the corners of the main island, where-
4
LE ergyTransfer by|
Energy Transfer by
Shock
Radiation
R
A
D
t
U
Ss
TIME
Point
|
Source aa
Radiating
Energy
isothermal Sphere
1
i Separation
adynamic
ws hyd rad
\
(roughly 300,000°K when
(millions of degrees
Kelvin)
—p
shockwave overtakes
isothermal sphere)
Shock Front Formed
Shock Front & Isothermal
WN.
Sphere Exponded (hundreds of
thousands of degrees K)
Break away
{roughly 2 ,000°K
Isothermal Sphere
|
when shockwave breaks
away from fireball)
Firebolt
4
Shock Front
Figure 4.3 Early development of nuclear detonation.
as Mohawk did not. Although there is no soil data available by which a comparison between
the two sites could be made, there is a possibility that the soil in the center of the Zuni
island had sufficient strength or was dry enough to reduce the Zuni crater radius toward
the center of the island. However, it is felt that a more likely solution is that there was
a narrower reef rim around the Zuni island than around the Mohawkisland, as appears
probable from the photographs.
This would, of course, result in less supportfor the
material in the rupture zone at the crater edge, a condition which would be aggravated
35