WORLD-WIDE FALLOUT FROM OPERATION CASTLE (Technical Report) | OSTI.GOV

Technical Report · Tue May 17 00:00:00 EDT 1955

A world-wide network of gummed film stations was established to monitor fall-out following Operation Castle. Although meteorological data were poor, a general connection of tropospheric flow patterns with observed fall-out was evident. There was a tendency for debris to remain in tropical latitudes, with incursions into the temperate regions associated with meteorological disturbances of the predominantly zonal flow. As the season advanced, such incursions became more evident. Outside of the tropics, the southwestern United States received the greatest total fall-out, about five times that received in Japan. The maximum fall-out on any day at an individual station in the United States, correeted to sampling day, was 200,000 d/m/ft/sup 2/. It is concluded that the probability of early fall-out in inhabited regions would be reduced by holding Pacific test series in the winter months. (auth)