stand that centered on the southern third of the island.

Trees in the

main portion of the stand averaged 80 ft in height, with many individual
specime s up to 42 in. in diameter at 5 ft abové ground. The shorter
trees to wig¢ -rd of the stand center were thicker for their height and
therefore stronger. Branches were thicx and short with gnarled ends.
Undergrowth was quite.scanty in the stand center due to the deep

shade cast by the crowns of the close-growing trees. Underbrush increased toward the beach on all sides as shading decreased. Although
Pisonia as well as all other species are evergreens, there is consider-~
able leaf fall in the dry season. CASTLE fell in this period, and no
doubt foliage was somewhat deficient although there was full shading in
the stand center.

Figure 2.3 shows the orientation of the stand on

Victor with respect to the other two islands and Tare. An exterior view
of the Pisonia stand on the southern third of Victor prior to Shot 1 is
shown in Fig. 2.4, and Fig. 3.2 gives the interior stand appearance.
Topography was uniformly flat above the beach slope, reaching a
maximum elevation of only 1C ft.
2.2.3

William Island

William Island, 29 ecres in area, supported a uniformly dense

cover of low broadleaf brush species broken only by a small colony of

palm trees on the southern tip and a 5 acre stand of large Pisonia in
the center of the island. The palms averaged 40 ft tall and 13 in. in
diameter, while the Pisonia averaged 50 ft in height with trees up to

24 in. diameter at breast height (d.b.h.).

The Pisonia stand exterior

view closely resembled the Victor Island stand shown in Fig. 2.4 although trees were not quite ac tall. An aerial view of William Island
is presented in Fig. 2.5. Figure 2.3 gives the orientation of the stand
components and their relation to ground zero. The interior stand
appearance is shown in Fig. 3.1.

2.3

INSTRUMENTATION

To assess the effects of the Uncle Island stand on shoc} overpressure, both static and dynamic, in terms of horizontal attenuation
the ‘stand was instrumented at eight locations with twin ground-level
static pressure gages and at two locations with single dynamic pressure

gages at 3 ft elevation (see Fig. 2.2 for locations).

Twin static

pressure gage installations were also made in the cleared areas of
Victor and William Islands, and a dynamic pressure gage, at 3 ft eleva-

tion, was placed on Victor Island (see Fig. 2.3 for locations).
3.1 gives ground ranges for all pressure gages.

Table

Gage ingtallaticns and

pressure messurements were provided by the Ballistic Research Labora~

tories (BRL), Project 1.2b,</ which also had pressure gage installations

along @ radial blast line cleared of vegetation adjacent to the Uncle

Island tree stand (Fig. 2.1).

@/ Ground Surface Air Pressure vs Distance from High Yield Detonations,
Cperation CASTLr, Project 1.2b, WY-995.
20

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