Fully manned weather and fallout prediction units are an
eet ee en
integral part of the Task Force conducting the tests.
Since the larger
detonations in the Pacific require additional information on the upper
air, new types of high altitude balloons and missiles are used.
Nine
weather stations are established by the Task Force during the test
series on islands around the Site, in addition to the eight regular
weather stations in operation on other islands.
After each detonation, aircraft track the radioactive air
out for several hundred miles.
Other aircraft, with special monitoring
equipment fly over land and sea areas to measure any residual contamination.
Through the cooperation of the U. S. Public Health Service,
trained monitors were present during Operation Redwing (Spring 1956
series) on the populated Islands of Wotho, Ujelang and Utirik.
As would be expected, the delineation of fallout patterns in
the wide expanses of the Pacific is difficult.
For the immediate monitor
ing, aerial surveys are conducted as mentioned above, automatic equipment
are placed on land areas, and a variety of ships, skiffs, and buoys are
utilized.
Following each test series, large scale radiological and
biological surveys are made.
Data from these surveys have been summarized
by the Commission in a document soon to be published by the Government
Printing Office.
The Nevada Test Site covers an area of about 600 square miles,
with the adjacent 4,000 square miles being a U. S. Air Force Gunnery
range.*4
land.
Surrounding these areas are wide expanses of sparsely populated
For general safety, as well as security, the Nevada Test Site is
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