Buster-Jangle Test Series
Nuclear Test DOG-BJ
Detonated: 1 November 1951
Time: 1530 GMT
TYPE OF DETONATION: Airburst
ALTITUDE OF DETONATION: 430 m (above ground)
REPORTED YIELD: 21 kilotons
RADIOIODINE (I-131) PRODUCED: 3.1 x 10E6 Curies
STABILIZED CLOUD HEIGHT: Top 12.2 km, msl;
Base 8.2 km, msl
MEASUREMENTS AVAILABLE FROM GROUND-LEVEL COLLECTORS: Yes
RADIOIODINE IN COUNTIES WITHOUT GROUND-LEVEL COLLECTORS
ESTIMATED BY: AIPC method
CLOSE-IN FALLOUT PATTERN AVAILABLE: No
Trajectory and Fallout Characteristics
Buster-Jangle, Dog
Close-In Fallout
No close-in fallout data have been located for this test.
Town Data Base
No Town Data Base estimates were made for this test.
County Data Base
No County Data Base fallout estimates were made for this test.
Upper-Air Trajectories
The initial movement to the southeast taken by all five trajectories (3.0
to 12.2 km) was different from the usual movement to the east or northeast. The
trajectories are displayed in Fig. BJ/3/T. After reaching extreme southwest New
Mexico, the top four trajectories turned slowly counter- clockwise, while
remaining reasonably close together, as they crossed central Texas and moved on
to eastern Tennessee. The top three trajectories then continued northeast-ward
and left the U.S. between Maine and New Jersey. The 9.1 and 12.2 km
trajectories moved at high speed with the 12.2 km trajectory reaching the east
coast late on the first day after detonation and the 9.1 km reaching the same
location only 6 hours later. The 7.3 km trajectory exited over Maine in the
middle of the second day (1800 GMT, 2 Nov. to 1800 GMT, 3 Nov.).
The much slower, lowest trajectory (3.0 km, msl) turned less sharply on
leaving southwest New Mexico, crossed the southern tips of Texas and Florida,
then continued its counter-clockwise curvature to the Bahama Islands reaching
them at the end of the third day. It was extended for this report by use of
upper-air charts to a position 550 km east of Cape Hatteras.
The 5.5 km trajectory diverged from the top three in east Tennessee as it
turned more sharply to the left reaching Lake Ontario by the middle of the
second day. It was extended for this report by three days during which time it
took an unusual circular path to the left. It crossed southern Hudson Bay
(moving to the west) and Lake Winnipeg, then continued across Minnesota (to the
south), Wisconsin, Lake Ontario, again, and exited the U.S. toward the northeast
over northeast Maine at the end of the fifth day (1800 GMT, 5 Nov. to 1800 GMT,
6 Nov.).
Depositions of radioactive iodine (I-131) were very light for this powerful
(19 kt) airburst. The only significant depositions were confined to the
southern, southeastern, eastern and northeastern states, mostly along the tracks
of the highest four trajectories. The only heavy depositions were in the east
and northeast which were accompanied by precipitation (Fig. BJ/3/F).
The earliest recorded fallout was on the second day after detonation giving
light, dry amounts in south Texas beneath the 3.0 to 5.5 kilometer cloud
segment. The third day showed light amounts again in south Texas plus light dry
fallout in southeast Arizona.
The first widespread area of deposition came on the fifth day, and was a
mix of wet and dry fallout that extended from south Texas through Virginia to
Vermont. Only light amounts were recorded. By this time all trajectories had
exited the United States except the recirculated 5.6 km trajectory that lay over
the area from Detroit to Caribou, Maine. A similar fallout pattern showed on
the sixth day but by the seventh day most depositions were in the northeast.
Relatively heavy fallout occurred on the sixth day (1800 GMT, 6 Nov. to 1800
GMT, 7 Nov.) at Norfolk, VA, on the seventh day at New York City and on the
eighth day at Rochester, NY, while light scattered amounts fell in areas
adjacent to these large amounts. On the ninth and tenth days (1800 GMT, 10 Nov.
to 1800 GMT, 11 Nov.) only a few light dry depositions were recorded in New York
State. None of the observed fallout after the fourth day, especially the large
amounts noted above, can be explained by the presence of radioactivity carried
by trajectories since all the trajectories left the U.S. by the fifth day.
A possible explanation for deposition distant from the primary cloud and
for delayed deposition, is that some of the debris fell from the radioactive
cloud into slow-moving air masses below trajectory levels. After the debris
cloud associated with the trajectories moved away, the low-level air masses
carried the radioactivity in directions different from the trajectories allowing
depositions away from the trajectory paths when rain carried the debris to the
ground. Also, the slow descent of the small debris particles from this airburst
allowed the low-level air masses to "store" the debris for relatively long
periods allowing delayed deposition.
Figure BJ/3/T. Estimated trajectories, at several altitudes, of the radioactive cloud resulting
from the test DOG of 1 November 1951. Numbers indicate the position of each
trajectory at 0000 GMT for several days following the explosion.
Figure BJ/3/F.
Table BJ/3/GF (Part 1). Estimates of I-131 daily deposition derived from gummed-film results and associated
precipitation indices for the shot DOG detonated 11/ 1/1951.
. Dep = daily deposition of I-131 per unit area of ground (nCi per sq m)
. Pi = precipitation index
Site State Month and day
_____________________________________________________________________________________
11/ 1 11/ 2 11/ 3 11/ 4 11/ 5 11/ 6 11/ 7
Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi
ABILENE TX 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
ALAMOSA CO NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
ALBUQUERQUE NM NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
ATLANTA GA 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 1 7 5 2 1
ATLANTIC CTY NJ 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
BINGHAMTON NY 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 2 2 1 39 5
BISMARCK ND 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
BOISE ID NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
BURLINGTON VT 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 1 8 5 18 7
CARIBOU ME 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
CHATTANOOGA TN 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 8 1 21 4 0 1
CINCINNATI OH 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
CLEVELAND OH 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 11 1 0 1 0 1
COLO SPRINGS CO 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
COLUMBIA SC 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 5 5 0 1
CORPUS CRIS. TX 0 1 8 2 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 5 0 1
DEL RIO TX 0 1 6 2 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
ELKINS WV 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 24 1 0 1 8 6
FORT WAYNE IN 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
GRAND JNC CO NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
GRAND RAPIDS MI 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
GREAT FALLS MT 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
HARTFORD CT 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 7 1 0 1 32 6
INTER. FALLS MN 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
LEXINGTON KY 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
La CROSSE WI 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
MEDFORD OR 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
MEMPHIS TN 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 7 5 4 6 0 1
MILFORD UT NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
MONTGOMERY AL 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
N CUMBERLAND PA 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 9 2 6 1 0 1
NASHVILLE TN 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
NEW ORLEANS LA 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
____________________
NA = not available
1 Table BJ/3/GF (continued)
Site State Month and day
_____________________________________________________________________________________
11/ 1 11/ 2 11/ 3 11/ 4 11/ 5 11/ 6 11/ 7
Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi
NEW YORK AEC NY 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 276 7
NORFOLK NB 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
NORFOLK VA 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 4 1 150 7 7 4
OKLA CITY OK 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 23 5 3 3 0 1
PENDLETON OR 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
PEORIA IL 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
PHOENIX AZ NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
POCATELLO ID 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
RALEIGH NC 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 8 5 0 1
RAPID CITY SD 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
RENO NV NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
ROCHESTER NY 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 36 1 30 1
SACRAMENTO CA 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
SALT LAKE UT 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
SAN DIEGO CA 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
SANTA MARIA CA 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
SEATTLE WA 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
ST. CLOUD MN NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
ST. MARIE MI 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
TALLAHASSEE FL 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
TAMPA FL 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
TEXARKANA AK 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 42 7 4 6 0 1
TOPEKA KS 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
TUCSON AZ 0 1 0 1 5 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
WASHINGTON DC 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 4 5 6 6
WINNEMUCCA NV NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
WINSLOW AZ NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
YUMA AZ NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
____________________
NA = not available
Table BJ/3/GF (Part 2). Estimates of I-131 daily deposition derived from gummed-film results and associated
precipitation indices for the shot DOG detonated 11/ 1/1951.
. Dep = daily deposition of I-131 per unit area of ground (nCi per sq m)
. Pi = precipitation index
Site State Month and day
_________________________________
11/ 8 11/ 9 11/10
Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi
ABILENE TX 0 1 0 1 0 1
ALAMOSA CO NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
ALBUQUERQUE NM NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
ATLANTA GA 2 1 0 1 0 1
ATLANTIC CTY NJ 0 1 0 1 0 1
BINGHAMTON NY 13 2 3 1 0 1
BISMARCK ND 0 1 0 1 0 1
BOISE ID NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
BURLINGTON VT 3 3 2 1 3 2
CARIBOU ME 0 1 0 1 0 1
CHATTANOOGA TN 0 1 0 1 0 1
CINCINNATI OH 0 1 0 1 0 1
CLEVELAND OH 0 1 0 1 0 1
COLO SPRINGS CO 0 1 0 1 0 1
COLUMBIA SC 0 1 0 1 0 1
CORPUS CRIS. TX 0 1 0 1 0 1
DEL RIO TX 0 1 0 1 0 1
ELKINS WV 0 1 0 1 0 1
FORT WAYNE IN 0 1 0 1 0 1
GRAND JNC CO NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
GRAND RAPIDS MI 0 1 0 1 0 1
GREAT FALLS MT 0 1 0 1 0 1
HARTFORD CT 0 1 0 1 0 1
INTER. FALLS MN 0 1 0 1 0 1
LEXINGTON KY 0 1 0 1 0 1
La CROSSE WI 0 1 0 1 0 1
MEDFORD OR 0 1 0 1 0 1
MEMPHIS TN 0 1 0 1 0 1
MILFORD UT NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
MONTGOMERY AL 0 1 0 1 0 1
N CUMBERLAND PA 0 1 0 1 0 1
NASHVILLE TN 0 1 0 1 0 1
NEW ORLEANS LA 0 1 0 1 0 1
____________________
NA = not available
1 Table BJ/3/GF (continued)
Site State Month and day
_________________________________
11/ 8 11/ 9 11/10
Dep Pi Dep Pi Dep Pi
NEW YORK AEC NY 2 2 0 1 0 1
NORFOLK NE 0 1 0 1 0 1
NORFOLK VA 0 1 0 1 0 1
OKLA CITY OK 0 1 0 1 0 1
PENDLETON OR 0 1 0 1 0 1
PEORIA IL 0 1 0 1 0 1
PHOENIX AZ NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
POCATELLO ID 0 1 0 1 0 1
RALEIGH NC 0 1 0 1 0 1
RAPID CITY SD 0 1 0 1 0 1
RENO NV NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
ROCHESTER NY 174 7 23 1 15 1
SACRAMENTO CA 0 1 0 1 0 1
SALT LAKE UT 0 1 0 1 0 1
SAN DIEGO CA 0 1 0 1 0 1
SANTA MARIA CA 0 1 0 1 0 1
SEATTLE WA 0 1 0 1 0 1
ST. CLOUD MN NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
ST. MARIE MI 0 1 0 1 0 1
TALLAHASSEE FL 0 1 0 1 0 1
TAMPA FL 0 1 0 1 0 1
TEXARKANA AK 0 1 0 1 0 1
TOPEKA KS 0 1 0 1 0 1
TUCSON AZ 0 1 0 1 0 1
WASHINGTON DC 0 1 0 1 0 1
WINNEMUCCA NV NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
WINSLOW AZ NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
YUMA AZ NA 1 NA 1 NA 1
____________________
NA = not available
Figure BJ/3/CD.