Elugelab, located at the northern side of the Eniwetok Atoll.
The detonation, designated the MIKE shot of Operation IVY,
resulted in the following general phenomena, based on preliminary
observations:
a.
<All of the island and portions of two
adjacent ones were obliterated; a crater four-fifths
of a mile in diameter and 80 feet in maximum depth
was formed,
(The earth shock was detected by seis-
mographs in the United States, and presumably the
world over.)
b.
The mushroom cloud rose 26 to 28 miles, with
a stem roughly 8 miles in diameter and a cloud top
about 40 miles across,
,
¢,
Radiation wes high on the islands near the
detonation, but decayed sufficiently in three days
to permit recovery of photographic and other scientific recordings.
3.
Nearly ideal weather conditions prevailed end recovery
of scientific data was excellent.
Radiological conditions per-
mitted manning the aircraft control tower on Parry Islend onehalf hour after detonation and ships reentered the legcon the day
after the snot.
The radioactive cloud drifted circuitcusly at
great height for several days in the general area of the Marshelis,
undergoing normal radioactive decay and being diffused and dissipated in the eir currents.
Airborne rédicactivity was detected
in the United States and other countries, but the concentration was
low and there was no health hazard.
(See map of world-wide moni-
toring stations in Part VI, Biology and Medicine.)
POE
SoCuIve 5
ee
.
Direction of Thermonucleer Development
4,
The detonation of
prLETED
be
has established the feasi-
bility of achteving a thermonuclear reaction in liquid Ceuteriuns on
a lergee scale end of using the resultent neutrons to cause exten-