The function of the Committee is to determine whether an underground
burst of an A~Bomb that will rupture the surface to a substantial degree
can be safely carried out within the continental limits of the United
States, in the event that this is determined feasible, to recommend the
site, and the meteorological, physicil, or biological data to be obtained
as a result of the burst.

At the meeting in Los Alamos, May 21 and 22, 1951, recommendations

were made and criteria were established,

At a subsequent gathering of

certain of the Committee members, June 28 and 29, 1951, it was evident
that some of the original criteria, and the recommendaticns should be
reconsidered in light of additional data and studies developed by Dr.

Gaelen Felt of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (Appendix I).

The

- purpose of the July 13 mecting was to reconsider the recomacndations

and criteria in terms of Dr. Felt's studies.

The actual firing will be at the Nevada Test Site, some 25 miles
north of Frenchman's Plat.

The Yommittus agreed thet the 1.25 KT deep underground weapon

would be unnecessary from a strictly rediological safety viewpoint.
Furthermore, that the order of firing should be, first the surface and
second the scaled sub-surface,
The Committee reconsidered its criteria and they are as follows:
A.

Geological

1.

A vasin at least partly enclosed by mountain ranges, in the
expectation that the rise would tend to hold large particulate
matter within the basin -- and additionally, to produce a.
deposit of finer particulate matter on the far sides of the
ranges by descending air currents,

2.

A low level of ground water.

The large amount of fission

products in the crater will not be adsorbed and held because

of the absence of clay, and hence may tend to migrate to the
ground water and show up in water supplies of grazing stock.

3.

lh.

A soil predominatly silica.

Preliminary studies should be

made of soil chemistry and particle size distribution.

For the test itself, there is required a deep unconsolidated

mass of soil with q==ee=len an absence cf faulting in the
area to be instrumented for ground shock.

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