alb5408692

Operation Grommet, Amchitka Test Site, CANNIKIN, 1971

Amchitka is a volcanic, tectonically unstable island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. Amchitka was selected by the United States Atomic Energy Commission to be the site for underground detonations of nuclear weapons. Three such tests were carried out: Long Shot, an 80-kiloton (330 TJ) blast in 1965, Milrow, a 1-megaton (4.2 PJ) blast in 1969, and Cannikin in 1971 - at 5 Mt. Cannikin was detonated on November 6, 1971, as the thirteenth test of the Operation Grommet (1971-72) underground nuclear test series. The ground lifted 20 feet, caused by an explosive force almost 400 times the power of the Hiroshima bomb. Subsidence and faulting at the site created a new lake, over a mile wide. Amchitka is no longer used for nuclear testing. It is still monitored for the leakage of radioactive materials.
Share
pinterestPinterest
twitterTwitter
facebookFacebook
emailEmail

Add to another lightbox

Add to another lightbox

add to lightbox print share
Do you already have an account? Sign in
You do not have an account? Register
Buy this image. Select the use:
Loading...
Title:
Operation Grommet, Amchitka Test Site, CANNIKIN, 1971
Caption:
Amchitka is a volcanic, tectonically unstable island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. Amchitka was selected by the United States Atomic Energy Commission to be the site for underground detonations of nuclear weapons. Three such tests were carried out: Long Shot, an 80-kiloton (330 TJ) blast in 1965, Milrow, a 1-megaton (4.2 PJ) blast in 1969, and Cannikin in 1971 - at 5 Mt. Cannikin was detonated on November 6, 1971, as the thirteenth test of the Operation Grommet (1971-72) underground nuclear test series. The ground lifted 20 feet, caused by an explosive force almost 400 times the power of the Hiroshima bomb. Subsidence and faulting at the site created a new lake, over a mile wide. Amchitka is no longer used for nuclear testing. It is still monitored for the leakage of radioactive materials.
Personalities:
Credit:
Album / LANL/Science Source
Releases:
? Model Release: No - ? Property Release: No
Rights questions?
Image size:
4200 x 3300 px | 39.7 MB
Print size:
35.6 x 27.9 cm | 14.0 x 11.0 in (300 dpi)