Section 2

RADIATION ENVIRONMENTS
Since an understanding of the radiation environments encountered by the ships
participating at Operation CASTLEis essential for the dose reconstructions that are presented in
section 4, the discussion thereof in Reference 1 is repeated and augmented. With the exception of
the operational activities of PC-1546, LST-1146, and MOLALA, activities conducted in

conjunction with project support requirements by the remainder of the ships discussed herein,
occurred primarily within the confines of Bikini Lagoon. Figure 2.1 depicts the areas within the
lagoon where the ships were required to spend most of their ume during the operation. Areas Nan
(off Eneu Island) and Tare (north of Eneman Island) were the primary anchoragesforall of the
task force ships throughout the operation. Areas Charlie, Dog, Fox, George, and Howin the
northern lagoon, were visited during technical project support activities.
2.1

RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT.
All of the ships addressed in this report encountered fallout after one or more of the six

CASTLEdetonations. In most instances, particularly where significant fallout was encountered,
shipboard radiological data are available to define the topside radiation environment. In some
instances, however, shipboard environments mustbe inferred from radiological data obtained on
nearby islands, such as the residence islands of Enewetak Atoll. For each ship, an average
intensity curve is presented showing the free-field radiation intensity as a function of time after
each shotthatresulted in significantfallout. The intensity curves are then time-integratedto yield a
daily free-field integrated intensity on each ship through 31 May 1954, whentheroll-up phase was
complete.
Extensive radiation intensity readings obtained on Bikini Island (Bikini Atoll) following

Shot BRAVOindicated decay rates that varied considerably from the traditional t}-? rule
(Reference 6). Average values for the decay exponent, obtained from several gammaionization
time-intensity meter measurements on Bikini, are as follows:
3 <t < 10hours;

k = -1.19

10 <t < 48 hours;

k = -0.82

48 < t < 480 hours;

k = -1.50

t >480 hours;

k = -1.20

Select target paragraph3