Chapter 5 CONCLUSIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 CONCLUSIONS 5.1.1 Operational. The following features of project operations are concluded to have been satisfactory: 1. Emphasis on complete documentation of the fallout at a few points, rather than limited documentation at a large number of points. Because of this, integrated sets of data were obtained, better control of all measurements was achieved, and a number of important correlations became possible for the first time. It is a related conclusion that the care taken to locate project stations, and the close coordination maintained with the aerial and oceanographic survey projects, were necessary. 2. Concentration on specific measurements required by fallout theory, instead of on general observations and data collection. The results obtained by emphasizing time-dependent data promise to be of particular value in fallout research, as do the early-time measurements of particle properties made in the YAG 40 laboratory. 3. Devotion of laboratory work on the YAG 40 and Site Elmerto relative activity and assoc- iated measurements. In several cases, data were obtained that would otherwise have been lost or obscured by radioactive decay. Counting statistics were improved, and the confidence in all measurements and observations was increased by the elimination of intermediate handling. Conversely, chemical and radiochemical measurements, which require a disproportionate amount of effort in the field, could be made under more favorable conditions, although at the sacrifice of information on short-lived induced activities. 4. Utilization of standardized instrument arrays and procedures. Without this, measurements made at different locations could not have been easily related, and various correlations could not have been achieved. Instrument maintenance, sample recovery, and laboratory processing were considerably simplified. Because the use of the How Island station as a datum plane for all standardized instrumentation was an integral part of the overall concept, it should be noted that the station functioned as intended and obtained information of fundamental impor- tance for data reduction and correlation. 5. Preservation of station mobility. It if had not been possible to move both major and minor sampling arrays to conform with changes in shot location and wind conditions, much vaiuable data would have been lost. Some of the most useful samples came from the barges that were relocated between shots. Coordination of ship sampling operations from the Program 2 Control Center on the basis of late meteorological information and early incoming data also proved practical; sampling locations were often improved and important supplementary measurements added. 6. Determination of station locations by Loran. Despite the fact that it was difficult for the ships to hold position during sampling, adequate information on their locations as a function of time was obtained. Ideally, of course, it would be preferable for ships to remain stationary during sampling, using Loran only to check their locations. The deep-anchoring method used for the skiffs gave good results and appears to be appropriate for future use. 7. Establishment of organizational flexibility. The use of small teams with unified areas of responsibility and the capability of independent action during the instrument-arming and sample-recovery periods was a primary factor in withstanding operational pressures. The stabilizing influence provided by the sample-processing centers on Bikini and Eniwetok contributed significantly to the effectiveness of the system. There were also certain features of project operations which were unsatisfactory: 150 Page W494 “Yeleted.