oe ‘ r= raft encountered scattered tops of clouds at 40,000 feet. One hour La he ae before detonation the aircraft, still at 40,000 feet, entered the edge “ge ons ' of a cumulus over ground zero (Figure 19) and encountered moderate turbulence within 15 miles of ground zero. Light to moderate showers occurred from H minus 9 hours to H minus 6 hours at Eniwetok on 6 April 195s6 A consensus of visual observa- The sky at shot time was chaotic. tions near ground zero indicated about 2/8 cumulus, 4/8 to 6/8 strato- cumulus at 4,000 to 6,000 feet and multiple decks of altostratus and altocumuius above, (See Figure 30.) The vertical and horizontal dis- tribution of cloud and showers is further illustrated ty Figures 23 through 29. No cirrus clouds were reported by the ground observers, apparently because of the obscuring lower clouds. at Eniwetok reported 2/8 cirrus. However, observers The total sky coverage in the v-zinity of the shot site averaged 8/8 with small breaks. Showers were visible in all directions. (See Figure 30.) One was located between ground zero and the command ship at shot time. Twenty six minutes before — 1oo Os)RP.ae) H-Hour it was 12 miles wide. Based on the radar ecupe observations (Figures 14 through 22). ¢ 5 large shower was almost certainly over or immediate2y adjacent tc ground zero when the device was detonated, An observer abcard the control aircraft at 37, 000 feet stated that the nuclear cicud emerged Figures 31 ard 32 show 4 . mre, from the top of a cirrus deck at 37,000 feet. Cumulus top merging with the cirrus. The top of the natural cloud, as he described it, appeared to rise about 1,000 feet after the device exploded. 2001bo8 18