Nuclear Testing at Bikini Atoll

By Charliewiles

  • Residents Relocated

    Residents Relocated
    • US government forced 167 Micronesian inhabitants of the atoll to temporarily relocated
    • King Juda agreed, saying "We will go believing that everything is in the hands of God"
    • Neighboring island, Rongerik Atoll, was temporary home (125 miles away)

  • Military Services Arrive

    Military Services Arrive
    • 42,000 military personnel
    • Built bunkers, floating docks, and steel towers with cameras recording instrument, bars, entertainment
    • Designated Bikini Atoll lagoon as ship graveyard, where 95 ships would be target of bomb testing

  • Operation Crossroads

    Operation Crossroads
    • Two separate detonations ("Able" "Baker")
    • 23 kilotons of TNT (96 Terajoules) (1 TJ = 1 trillion J)
    • Able: Dropped from plane, sank 5 ships
    • Baker: Detonated 90 ft underwater, sank 8 ships, raised surface temp of water by 99,000 degreed F

  • Japanese Fisherman Contaminated

    Japanese Fisherman Contaminated
    • Japanese fishing boat 80 miles away from blast site, 90 minutes after Castle Bravo detonation
    • 23 members of fishing vessel all became ill
    • 1 crew member died six months later

  • Castle Bravo Test

    Castle Bravo Test
    • Residents of northern Atoll neighboring islands received external doses in the hundreds to over 2000mGy
    • Internal doses were calculated for thyroid, red bone marrow, stomach, colon. Thyroid for northern islands = 760-7600 mGy. For comparison, one abdomen CT scan = ~10mGy.
    • Southern Atolls = 5 to 12 mGy
    • Mid lattitude Atolls = 22 to 60 mGy

  • Redwing Tests

    Redwing Tests
    • Total of 17 nuclear detonations
    • Thermonuclear
    • Islanders were initially promised they could return home, but was later thwarted to resume nuclear testing

  • Operation Hardtack I

    Operation Hardtack I
    • 35 nuclear tests
    • Max yield of energy was 9.3 megatons of TNT
    • Air drop, underwater detonation

  • Bikini Residents Return Home Delayed

    Bikini Residents Return Home Delayed
    • In June of 1968, Lyndon B Johnson promised 540 Bikinians living on Kili and other islands they would be allowed to return home to Bikini
    • Efforts included replanting and construction of housing
    • U.S. Atomic Energy Commission said: "There's virtually no radiation left and we can find no discernible effect on either plant or animal life."
    • The discovery of high levels of radiation in coconut crabs, an important food source, delayed the return

  • Radiation Findings After Returning Home

    Radiation Findings After Returning Home
    • Over the years, small amounts of Bikinians gradually returned home
    • In 1978, medical examinations took place on Bikini residents, finding 75% increase in cesium 137
    • DOE began outsourcing food, assuming a large part of radiation increase was from consuming food originating from island
    • Eventually in 1978, U.S. government began to relocate people again due to high amounts of radiation still present

  • Lawsuit

    • Lawsuit against U.S. handed down to Bikini Atoll for damages done to island and its people
    • Nuclear Claims Tribunal promised to award a total of $563,315,500 to people of Bikini Island
    • Nuclear claims tribunal was considered underfunded at the time and it is now up to the people of Bikini to petition the U.S. Congress to fulfill this award