Conventional Explosions For Nuclear Testing
A number of large conventional explosions have been conducted for nuclear testing purposes. Some of the larger ones are listed below.
| Event | Explosive used | Amount of explosive | Where | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity test | TNT | 108 tons | White Sands Proving Grounds | 7 May 1945 |
| Operation Blowdown | TNT | 50 short tons (45 t) | Lockhart River, Queensland | 18 July 1963 |
| Snowball | TNT | 500 short tons (450 t) | Alberta, Canada | 1964 |
| Operation Sailor Hat | TNT | 3 tests × 500 short tons (450 t) | Kahoolawe, HI | 1965 |
| Distant Plain | propane | 20 short tons (18 t) | Alberta, Canada | 1966-67 |
| Prairie Flat | TNT | 500 short tons (450 t) | Alberta, Canada | 1968 |
| Dial Pack | TNT | 500 short tons (450 t) | Alberta, Canada | 23 July 1970 |
| Mixed Company | TNT | 500 short tons (450 t) | Colorado | 20 November 1972 |
| Misers Bluff | ANFO | 7 tests × 120 short tons (110 t) | Planet Ranch, AZ | 1978 |
| Dice Throw | ANFO | 620 short tons (560 t) | White Sands Missile Range | 6 October 1979 |
| Distant Runner | ANFO | 2 tests × 120 short tons (110 t) | White Sands Missile Range | 1981 |
| Mill Race | ANFO | 620 short tons (560 t) | White Sands Missile Range | 16 September 1981 |
| Direct Course | ANFO | 609 short tons (552 t) | White Sands Missile Range | 26 October 1983 |
| Minor Scale | ANFO | 4,744 short tons (4,304 t) | White Sands Missile Range | 27 June 1985 |
| Misty Picture | ANFO | 4,685 short tons (4,250 t) | White Sands Missile Range | 14 May 1987 |
| Misers Gold | ANFO | 2,445 short tons (2,218 t) | White Sands Missile Range | 1 June 1989 |
| Distant Image | ANFO | 2,440 short tons (2,210 t) | White Sands Missile Range | 20 June 1991 |
| Minor Uncle | ANFO | 2,725 short tons (2,472 t) | White Sands Missile Range | 10 June 1993 |
| Non Proliferation Experiment | ANFO | 1,410 short tons (1,280 t) | Nevada Test Site | 22 September 1993 |
Other smaller tests include Pre Mine Throw and Mine Throw in 1970-1974, Pre Dice Throw and Pre Dice Throw II in 1975, Pre-Direct Course in 1982, SHIST in 1994, and the series Dipole Might in the 1990s and 2000s. Divine Strake was a planned test of 700 tons at the Nevada Test Site in 2006, but was cancelled.
Read more about this topic: List Of The Largest Artificial Non-nuclear Explosions
Famous quotes containing the words conventional, explosions, nuclear and/or testing:
“People always blame the girl; she should have said no. A monosyllable, but conventional wisdom has always been that boys can’t manage it.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)
“Our Lamaze instructor . . . assured our class . . . that our cervix muscles would become “naturally numb” as they swelled and stretched, and deep breathing would turn the final explosions of pain into “manageable discomfort.” This descriptions turned out to be as accurate as, say a steward advising passengers aboard the Titanic to prepare for a brisk but bracing swim.”
—Mary Kay Blakely (20th century)
“The emotional security and political stability in this country entitle us to be a nuclear power.”
—Ronald, Sir Mason (b. 1930)
“Bourbon’s the only drink. You can take all that champagne stuff and pour it down the English Channel. Well, why wait 80 years before you can drink the stuff? Great vineyards, huge barrels aging forever, poor little old monks running around testing it, just so some woman in Tulsa, Oklahoma can say it tickles her nose.”
—John Michael Hayes (b.1919)