CHAPTER |
DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY
1526 - 1972
GEOGRAPHY
Enewetak Atoll is a small ring of islands approximately 2,500 miles west
of Hawaii at latitude 11° 21’ N and longitude 162° 21’ E (Figure !-1). It is
the only surface feature of one of the three chainsof islands known as the
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ENEWETAK
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FIGURE 1-1. GREAT CIRCLE DISTANCES FROM ENEWETAK ATOLL.
Marshall Islands Group (Figure I-2). The range of undersea mountains
which form this chain was not identified as such until 1950. Prior to that,
Enewetak was considered part of the Ralik or ‘‘Sunset’’ chain. The Ratak
or ‘‘Sunrise’’ chain is the easternmost of the Marshall Islands Grour
(Figure 1-3).!
Enewetak Atoll contains some 40 named islands, two coral head:
large enough-to have been namedby the dri-Enewetak, a numberof smal
unnamed islets,and long stretches of submerged reefs (Figure 1-4)
a
During the nuclear test period, the major islands were assigned ‘‘site’
names by U.S. Government personnel. The northern islands wer
1
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