reasonable agreement. These last two approaches were different from each other
in that Sondhaus derived. the estimate of whole-body dose from actual measurements of total exposure (film badges at Rongerik) and exposure rate, while the
estimate using Bikini ash depended upon measurements of the composition of fallout and exposure rate. The approach used by Peterson depended on upper-air wind

level patterns and the fallout was estimated by him to drift back in a southerly

fashion. This was not in agreement with assumptions regarding wind level patterns which were used in three previous and independent approaches (Ha79). The
Peterson results for whole-body dose were radically different from other esti-

mates for Rongerik and Utirik people and do not coincide with measured values
for exposure and exposure rate (Sh57).
3.

Duration of Fallout.

Duration of fallout is defined as the time fall-

out begins up to the time of cessation (not to be confused with the time of evac-

uation, which was much later). Peterson's estimated duration of fallout (see
Table 3) of about 19 hours at Rongelap appears to be too long relative to the
reported wind velocity moving the cloud past Rongelap (Cr56) and relative to the
first-hand accounts of fallout duration given by the Marshallese evacuated from
Rongelap Island (Sh57). An upper limit of 16 hours' duration at Rongerik Atoll,
estimated by Sondhaus, was based on the assumption of a constant rate-of-rise of
exposure rate.

The exposure-rate datum used to indicate cloud passage was the

offscale reading of >100 mR h~! at 7 hours and 22 minutes post-detonation 270 km

(170 miles) away from Bikini Atoll.

Estimates of fallout duration time by.

Peterson, Sondhaus, and Dunning and those estimated by us are tabulated in Table
3 for comparison.
Sifo Island, Ailingnae Atoll, was the same distance from the detonation

site as the Japanese vessel contaminated by Bikini ash (BRAVO fallout).

ash was observed to fall for 5 hours (Ts55).

Bikini

Bikini ash granule size was visible

to the eye (Su56), which at this location was consistent with reports that fall-

out was visible at Rongelap, Rongerik, and Ailingnae.

Visual observations of

Table 3

Duration of Fallout, Hours
Fallout
Duration

Fallout
Duration

Fallout
Duration

Distance
From the

‘Estimated
by Sondhaus

Estimated
by Dunning

Site, km

($055)

( JCAE57)

(Pe81)

(This Report)

Ailingnae
Ronge lap

150 .
210

12
12

5.5
5.5

LO
19

5
7

Utirik

570

12

Location
of

People

Detonation

Rongerik

270

1955

12

1957

1?

-

Estimated
by Peterson

Fallout
Duration -

1981

17

3

Estimated
Here
1984

9

19.

-8-

saat tbh

:

arene

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