Castle Bravo Shot Crater

Marshall Islands / Mili / Arbar /
 atoll, nuclear testing area, bomb/explosion crater
This is the crater from the 15 megaton "Castle Bravo" shot on March 1, 1954, the first full-scale solid-fueled thermonuclear explosion and the most powerful nuclear explosive device tested by the United States. Its yield was 2.5 times larger than predicted. Shifting winds carried heavy fallout to the rest of Bikini Atoll, to several atolls to the east, and over the Japanese fishing boat Lucky Dragon,heavily irradiating the crew, killing a crewman.

One later test, Castle Romeo on March 27, was fired on a barge anchored in the Castle Bravo crater.

Some good Info also on: nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Castle.html
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Bravo
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   11°41'56"N   165°16'35"E

Comments

  • According to divers, the sand at the base of the crater is so fine that even marine algae cannot grow to start coral reefs again. Either that or its the fact that even today the area is still to radioactive to be in for more than a few minutes.
  • I was a USS Curtiss marine at the Bravo shot.It was top secret for over 50 years.Now,we are finding out why our government kept it a hush hush secret.Most of my buddies are dead or dying.We are just now getting together and telling our stories. cuwhenicu.Luv,John Ron Halderman,Sgt.USMC
This article was last modified 9 years ago